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Much Ado About Nothing
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Jack Hickey
Produced by Oak Park Festival Theatre
At Austin Gardens
1010 Lake Street
Oak Park, IL
Call 708-445-4440, tickets $27 - $22 for students/seniors
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 7 pm
Running time is 2 hours, 20 minutes with intermission
Through July 19, 2008
Cute Shakespeare comedy well acted
The outdoor production of The Bard’s comedy, “Much Ado About Nothing,” directed with zest by Jack Hickey, is worthy fare for a summer picnic for all the family. Set in the wooded Austin Gardens in Oak Park, we see a group of classical actors who both understand and respect Shakespeare. I enjoyed this production and I discovered two new young actors—Steve Lenz (Claudio) and Brianne Wilson (Hero). They, together with veteran players, Katie Jeep (Beatrice) and Kevin Theis (Benedick), anchor a fine cast. Brian Simmons, as Dogberry, is a hoot as a master of malapropisms and a dedicated policeman.
“Much Ado About Nothing” is about cuckoldry, or infidelity of a wife. In Shakespeare’s time, men couldn’t trust their women’s fidelity. They tended to believe any rumor concerning a woman’s sexual proclivity. When Claudio falls in love with Hero, marriage is quickly arranged. Meanwhile, Beartrice and Benedict constantly trade barbs and insults as both loudly proclaim they’ll never marry. We know they are in love and their friends plot to get them together. The nasty Don John (Anthony Bianco) is jealous of the Hero/Claudio relationship. He arranges to have Claudio and Don Pedro (Stanton Davis) witness a strange man entering Hero’s bedroom late at night. This works to ruin the marriage as Claudio shuns her at the alter. Meanwhile Beatrice and Benedick over hear their friends speak of how much they both love each other. They begin to realize how deep their love is.
The Friar (Jerome St. Jerome) concocts a plot to unearth the truth as to Hero’s innocence. The wacky policeman, Dogberry, and his troupe over hear two rascals speak of getting paid to dishonor a maiden (Hero). All gets resolved as Claudio/Hero and Beatrice/Benedick are united. We laugh often with this cute and well-paced comedy. The energy level sustains throughout. The performances are fine despite several of the women speaking a tad too fast. Kevin Theis and Katie Jeep produce a spark while Steve Lenz lets out all his wide emotional range effective. Brianne Wilson exudes sensuality and a fine grasp of The Bard’s language. “Much Ado About Nothing” is clearly presented by the eloquent cast making it easy to follow. Kids will like this show.
This is a nice summer treat for the entire family.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2008
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