Exhibitionism

Much Ado About Nothing

Running Time: 2 hrs

Some people will tell you that love is war, that there is an ongoing battle of the sexes, and I’m not so certain that William Shakespeare wouldn’t agree, given the plot of this 400-year-old comedy. Shakespeare was a genius at playing one side of a question against the other, and here the genius plays with the subject of love in a most ingenious way. Benedick and Beatrice have had a falling out and now compensate by engaging in a battle of wits, each one-upping the other in an attempt to deal with the way they truly feel. Eventually, a pack of lies will bring them together once again, but the handsome Claudio, friend to Benedick, and the beautiful Hero, cousin to Beatrice, are a different story. Claudio loves Hero and intends to marry her, but another pack of lies drives these two lovers apart. A doomed love is born again, a true love is torn asunder. The irony is intense, the tension palpable, and the comedy, both high and low, plentiful.

J. Damian Gillen takes on the roles of both director and Benedick in this production, offered by the Company and Shrewd Productions at Hyde Park Theatre. As the program states, Gillen also has “freely adapted” Shakespeare’s script, setting it on a very whitely dappled, shallow stage, and dressing the characters in mostly black and white, with lots of tuxes and formal dresses. The visual look of the production derives its inspiration from the screwball comedies Hollywood made in the 1930s and 1940s, and given the financial constraints he obviously was dealing with, Gillen almost pulls it off. He gets some help from Sharon Sparlin, who has choreographed a dance reminiscent of the Lindy Hop and very much in keeping with the spirit of the production. He also gets a lot of help from his actors, who toss Shakespeare’s prose around like he actually was writing dialogue consisting of one-liners and bons mots.

While Gillen’s directorial ideas may lack a bit in terms of execution – the shallow stage lends itself to little more than two-dimensionality, which is the nature of film, but not so great for theatre – he is more fortunate in his casting. Each of his actors is entirely appropriate for their roles, and many do more than just what’s necessary. Gillen doesn’t fall into the trap of egotistical posturing as Benedick, but consistently pushes the tempo and keeps the story moving forward. He’s most effective in those moments when he’s alone on the stage, speaking just to the audience. Shannon Grounds’ Beatrice is a red-haired vixen who softens around the edges without seeming contradiction. While Gillen and Grounds don’t generate a lot of sexual heat, in one scene in particular they seem like old friends who care deeply for each other, and that’s an acceptable substitute for passion. They leave the heat to Kelsey Kling’s innocent and comely Hero and Joel Gross’ Claudio. While I wish he hadn’t hidden his hands so much, Gross in particular is effective, all puppy-eyed and moon-faced as he becomes engaged to his true love and all hard edges and venom when he believes he’s been betrayed.

If you’re looking for a traditional approach to Shakespeare, look elsewhere. Some of the story has been done away with (like the war that Shakespeare used as a backdrop), and some of the lines don’t sound a bit Shakespearean (that’s probably a result of “freely adapting”). But the story is clear, and it’s a good one. I don’t think I’m giving anything away by saying that evil is punished, love triumphs, and everyone lives happily ever after. If only all wars ended so well.

This article appears in July 30 • 2004.