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.
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