As we seem to perhaps finally be coming out of the
pandemic, it is the perfect time for a fun comedy. We need it now, don’t we? A
Noise Within gives us
Much Ado About
Nothing, that delicious, fast-paced comedy about love and marriage and
those who claim to want neither. This new production sets the play in the
1940s, at the end of World War II, when joy re-entered the world. It is
directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos, who also gave us an unusual and exciting
production of
Henry V in 2014. This is his first time directing at A Noise Within. And this
production also marks the A Noise Within debut performances of many of the
cast, including Alexandra Hellquist as Hero, Tony Pasqualini as Leonato, Jeanne
Syquia as Margaret, Nick Petroccione as Balthasar and Ursula, and Randy
Thompson as Conrade and Friar Francis. But there are also several actors who
will be familiar to regular patrons of A Noise Within, including Frederick
Stuart, who was fantastic as Leontes in the 2020 production of
The Winter’s Tale, and as the narrator
in the 2021 production of
A Christmas
Carol. In
Much Ado About Nothing,
he turns in one of the strongest performances as Don Pedro. This production
also features the magnificent Erika Soto, who shined as Cordelia in the 2017
production of
King Lear, and as Helen
in last year’s production of
All’s Well
That Ends Well. Here she is absolutely phenomenal as Beatrice,
proving once again that she is one of the best stage actors in Los Angeles.
The set at the start of the play is busier than usual,
with a collection of some dozen chairs (a few overturned), as well as a loveseat,
a bed and a street lamp. The cast enters through the audience to that great
rhythm of “Sing, Sing, Sing” and upon reaching the stage reorganizes the
furniture, essentially cleaning up the stage, until only two chairs and the
loveseat remain, along with a record player. This is done with a great joy, a
joy that continues as the actors take their places for the first scene. And the
first line of the play, when Leonato announces the imminent arrival of Don
Pedro, is delivered with a joy that is palpable. Beatrice is immediately
established as individual, set off from the others by her position on set, by
the fact that she is wearing pants rather than a dress, and by her reading as
the action begins. And when the soldiers enter (in a jeep), her countenance
turns serious, thoughtful, though she hides that from the others, seating
herself downstage right, facing the audience. Benedick (Joshua Bitton), Claudio
(Stanley Andrew Jackson), Don Pedro and John (Rafael Goldstein) are dressed in
fatigues. John sets himself apart, wearing sunglasses and brooding, in stark
contrast to the general cheer on stage. His delivery of his line of thanks is
hilarious. And though he later tells the audience directly that he is a
plain-dealing villain, we never take him all too seriously. That is in part
because of the great shift in tone whenever he is the focus on stage, which
gives his villainy a light, comic sense, almost like the production itself is
poking fun at him. When Claudio first sees Hero, he tries to speak, but finds
he is unable to form any words, another funny moment. And Benedick is so
adamant about not succumbing to love that we all know before the end of the
play he will be its servant.
In this production, Don Pedro isn’t an actual prince, so
the lines about him being a prince are delivered as if the title is a nickname.
That allows Claudio to embrace him as his equal in that first scene. Don Pedro
takes delight in his idea of disguising himself to woo Hero for Claudio. And
later when Benedick says “that I was the
prince’s jester,” Don Pedro laughs heartily, for that line becomes a play
on the word “prince.” He stops laughing abruptly when Benedick turns to him. Then
while Benedick is ranting, Beatrice enters and is in place before Don Pedro’s “Look! here she comes,” which is just
delightful. Frederick Stuart is absolutely wonderful as Don Pedro here, and
Joshua Bitton is hilarious. Beatrice clears her throat, and that is enough to
send Benedick to flight, and he exits. Don Pedro’s “She were an excellent wife for Benedick” sends Leonato to fits of
laughter, another wonderful moment. Benedick is then shown working on the jeep
before his soliloquy about love’s effect on Claudio. When the others enter, he slides
under the jeep to hide. In this production, when Balthasar sings “Sigh No More,
Ladies,” the song becomes a country number played on acoustic guitar, and it is
seriously funny. Tony Pasqualini is particularly good in the gulling of
Benedick, especially when he is at a loss for words. They all take great
pleasure in teasing Benedick. And when Benedick takes it all in, he looks
around at the entire audience before saying, “This can be no trick,” which makes it all the more funny. He then
works himself into a state, so that his “No,
the world must be peopled” is spoken with great exuberance. Then when
Beatrice is similarly misled, she hides herself behind bushes. When the others
leave, she gets up from behind the flower bed, ending up with a red rose in her
hand, a nice touch. The first word of the line “What fire is in mine ears” is delivered basically as its own
question or exclamation.
John’s tricking of Claudio and Don Pedro into believing
Hero is unfaithful is presented on the stage in this production, with Margaret
and Borachio (Michael Uribes) on a ladder upstage, while the three are
downstage peering up, as if at Hero’s window. It is a striking image and
moment. Then Wesley Mann is delightful as Dogberry as he gives the members of
the watch their orders for the night. Those members of the watch hide in front
of the audience while listening to Borachio’s bragging to Conrade about what he’s
done. Some costume changes are done on stage, just as scenery changes are
necessarily done. For example, members of the watch change into maids’ outfits
for the scene in Hero’s bedroom, that quick change receiving applause from the
audience. Director Guillermo Cienfuegos clearly has an interest in displaying
the actual mechanics of theatre, as he did in that 2014 production of Henry V, which showed actors essentially
putting on a performance of that play, even holding a copy of the play at the
beginning. Cienfuegos makes those “behind-the-scenes” moments part of the
performance. Another change that is done as performance is that of John becoming
Verges, putting on the look of an old man, and then slowly shuffling into place.
That too receives an appreciative reaction from the audience. However, the
lines of Verges being mumbled so that they are somehow understood by Dogberry
and other members of the watch, but are incomprehensible to Leonato and the audience,
quickly becomes stale, and is the only element of the production that does not
quite work for me. (Though I should point out that it got laughs from much of
the audience each time Verges spoke.)
The beginning of the wedding scene is done in an
interesting manner, as a sort of dance, while a stained glass window is
lowered. The feeling of that initial moment is then in contrast to the sudden
anger as Claudio pushes Hero to the floor. Margaret runs off as she realizes
what part she has played in this trouble. When Hero faints, Claudio does show
concern for her, which is great. The ache in Hero’s expression as she hears her
own father believing the worst of her is fantastic. Alexandra Hellquist is
particularly good in this scene. Then there is a kind of wildness in Beatrice’s
delivery of “I confess nothing.” I
love how frightened Beatrice is by her own love. There is a sudden change as
she quickly turns to tell Benedick to kill Claudio. In the questioning of
Borachio and Conrade, Wesley Mann again shines as Dogberry. He is especially
good as he shakes with anger after being called an ass. In the scene at Leonato’s
monument, Hero is present, brought up onto a pedestal and then standing still
as a statue, which of course brings to mind Hermione in The Winter’s Tale. It’s an interesting choice. As performances
concluded during Shakespeare’s day, this performance finishes with a dance,
leaving us all in the mood for love and good cheer.
This production of Much
Ado About Nothing is directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos. It runs through
March 12th. There is one fifteen-minute intermission, which comes at the end of
Act III Scene ii. A Noise Within is located at 3352 E. Foothill Blvd. in
Pasadena, California. Free parking is located at the Sierra Madre Villa Metro
Parking Structure.
