Eons before Facebook ever described relationships as “complicated,” a guy in 17th Century England named William Shakepeare was all over that. He told us what we sort of already knew—love is a twisted maze of joy and heartbreak, of deceit and divinity, with signals and road signs that too often seem to point in the wrong directions.
Enter Shakespeare’s madcap and vaguely implausible “Much Ado About Nothing,” as staged by A Noise Within.
Director Guillermo Cienfuegos has taken the medieval Italian setting of the original play and dropped it into 1940s Sicily, just after its liberation from Mussolini by Allied forces.
As Cienfuegos noted, ““It gives us a lot to play with in terms of set, costumes and music, which will be whimsical and great fun, adding, “It’s also a fitting backdrop for the contrast of the play’s broadly comedic elements with some of the darker aspects of the story.”
Thus, Claudio (Stanley Andrew Jackson III), returning from the battlefield to his village, along with his BFF Benedick (Joshua Bitton), is eager to return to his lovely maiden, Hero (Alexandra Hellquist).
Meanwhile, Benedick and his erstwhile squeeze Beatrice (Erika Soto) say they want nothing of love. Their encounters are filled with denials and oneupmanship, but their denials ring false to this observer, and to the author.
Wasn’t it Shakespeare himself who wrote, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks”? Of course she does. And so does Benedick.
Therein follows the requisite trail of deceit, betrayal and redemption in this precursor to every romantic comedy ever set to word or film since.
What is especially unique and appealing about Ceinfuego’s production is the set design on the theater’s wide-open stage, showcasing both scenic designer Angela Balogh Calin and lighting designer Ken Booth.
The actors first make their appearance as the play opens, emerging from the wings to immediately commence assembling the stage, as they will do continually throughout the production. Hedges and walls and windows and backdrops are swiftly wheeled into place by the actors as we move from interior to exterior, to late night meets to a garden wedding. It’s easily as much choreography as any of the dance scenes.
Later, actors literally dress on stage for new roles and new scenes as dressing mirrors and tables are quickly wheeled into place and then whisked away, as the story swiftly continues.
And while Shakepeare’s dialogue can be unwieldy to the uninitiated, the actors deliver their lines with enough body language and broad facial expressions to make their meanings clear, though the acting sometimes tends to veer slightly into a ‘70s sitcom direction.
Cast-wise, the actors are each strong in their performances, as they deftly unwind the twisted tale. Erika Soto is fetching and smug as Beatrice, and Joshua Bitton plays Benedick as a skeptical, street-smart Brooklynite. Alexandra Hellquist is a quiet and alluring tempest while Jackson plays Claudio with strength and dignity.
The rest of the cast includes Rafael Goldstein as Don John, Wes Mann as Dogberry, Tony Pasqualini as Leonato, Nick Petroccione as Balthasar, Fredrick Stuart as Don Pedro, Randy Thompson as Friar Francis, Jeanne Syquia as Margaret and Michael Uribes as Borachio. Also featured in the ensemble are Alejandro Hernandez and Arely Vianet.
Fans of Shakespeare’s work will likely have seen more than a few of his productions in a range of settings and venues over the years. Cienfuego’s staging of “Ado” is a credit to all of them.
“Much Ado About Nothing” is at A Noise Within through March 12, 2023. 3352 East Foothill Blvd, Pasadena, CA. (626) 356-3100. www.anoisewithin.org
