Shakespeare’s romcom, “Much Ado About Nothing” is a bubble of a play, yet in it the great playwright touches lightly upon many of his deep themes: romantic love, the treachery of villainy, telling truth from lies, and reflecting on our mortality.
Benedick (the always romantic Johnny Moreno) and Claudio (a charmingly goofy Tai White) are two soldiers returning from battle to stay at the home of Leonato(Victor Talmadge) and his wife Innogen (a scene stealing performance by Keiko Shimosato Carreiro).In Nina Ball’s marvelous set design, this home is a beach resort/dive shop in Key West, Florida. This theme is matched to perfection by costume designer Rebecca Valentikno, properties artisan, Amu Benjamin, and sound designer Christian Mejia. We hear the ocean breezes, can feel the heat implied by summery costumes, and enjoy the playfulness of the props. We can practically smell the salt air!
Claudio falls in love at first sight with the beautiful Hero, daughter of Leonato and Innogen. His commanding officer, Don Pedro (the dashing Edward Neville) agrees to woo her for Claudio, and does so successfully.
Meanwhile, in a famous subplot, Benedick and Beatrice (a very intense and graceful Bridgette Loriaux) go at one another with fanged tongues and wicked wit, the only ones not to realize that they are deeply in love. Benedick swears he’ll never marry, while Beatrice swears that no man could be as loathsome as Benedick. Amused at their obvious self-deception, their friends plot to trick them into falling in love with one another.
Everything is light and funny and romantic until the evil and alienated Don Joan (Steve DeLeon in a truly dastardly performance) decides to muck things up for her own amusement. With the aid of the love-besotten Ursula (Arina Baker), who would do anything for her beloved, Joan convinces Claudio that Hero is unfaithful. In Shakespeare’s original script, this is accomplished when Ursula masquerades as Hero and appears to be making love with a paramour as Claudio watches from below her window. In Domenique Lozano’s clever adaptation, the deed is accomplished with a deep fake video, evidently quite pornographic, which Don Joan and Ursula show to Claudio and his commanding officer. As a result, Claudio denounces Hero at the altar as they are preparing to marry, and the entire household is thrown into pandemonium. Benedick threatens to kill Claudio, Hero appears to have dropped dead on the spot, and the course of true love is running anything but smooth.
But this is, of course, a comedy, and after “much ado about nothing” the truth is sorted out and all ends happily.
Along the way, we enjoy many marvelous comic performances, including Richard Paliazoi as Dogberry, one of Shakespeare’s funniest clowns, a man whose explanations of just about anything are nothing if not confusing and who is terribly anxious to be “put down as an ass.” Keiko Shimosato Carreiro, who plays Don Pedro’s wife Innogen, is hilarious in the additional role of Dogberry’s sidekick, Verges.
This “Much Ado” is hardly nothing: it’s a lovely Shakespearean outing full of laughter, romance, delightful visuals, and gorgeous choreography by Bridgette Loriaux.
It is a fine way to spend a summer evening.
“Much Ado About Nothing” plays at the Meadows Amphitheater at Dominican University in Mill Valley through July 28. For further information, click here.
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Rating: *** (For an explanation of TheatreStorm’s rating system, click here.)
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“Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespear, adapted and directed by Dominique Lozano. Set Design: Nina Ball. Lighting Design: Christian Mejia. Sound Design: Ben Euphrat. Costume Design: Rebecca Valentino. Properties Artisan: Amy Benjamin. Choreographer: Bridgette Loriaux. Fight Director: Dave Maier. Intimacy Director: Cindy Goldheld.
Cast:
Ursula/Borachia: Anina Baker. Hero: Diyar Banna. Innogen/Verges: Keiko Shimosato Carreiro. Don Joan: Stevie DeMott. Beatrice: Bridgette Loriaux. Benedick: Johnny Moreno. Don Pedro: Edward Neville. Dogberry: Richard Pallaziol. Leonato: Victor Talmadge. Claudio: Tai White.
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