‘Much Ado About Nothing’ @ Shakespeare Dallas
—Hannah Kneen
For many years, heading out to a Shakespeare in the Park show has been one of my favorite summer theater traditions. Armed with all the necessities for a picnic feast, theatre-goers can enjoy a nice outdoor setting (though I would recommend you bring supplies to combat the Texas heat) and an all-around fantastic playgoing experience. Shakespeare Dallas’s Much Ado About Nothing has just opened; it runs through July 16 and is a definite must-see.
The plot starts with the end of a war. Don Pedro (Tommy Stuart), along with his men Claudio (Caleb de la Torre) and Benedick (Marcus Stimac), visits the Duke of Messina, Leonato (Shawn Gann). Leonato has a daughter named Hero (Thi Le), with whom Claudio is very quickly taken. Hero’s cousin Beatrice (Nicole Berastequi) plays a stark contrast to the sweet Hero with her quick wit, usually aimed at the equally sharp-tongued Benedick. The main plot centers on Claudio and Hero, whose wedding is sabotaged by Don John (Adrian Godinez), Don Pedro’s villainous illegitimate brother. Don John, with help from his follower Borachio (Dayan Rodriguez), conspires to make sure Claudio witnesses Hero in a compromising position the night before their wedding. Claudio exposes her supposed infidelity at the ceremony the next day and she collapses in shock. The Friar (David Helms) suggests Hero fake her death to engender softer feelings toward her. Meanwhile, the rest of the company has conspired to set Benedick and Beatrice up as a couple, letting each overhear people discussing how much the other loves them. This comes to a head after the disastrous wedding, when Beatrice asks Benedick to kill Claudio for the wrong he has done to Hero. Fortunately—and after much ado—Don John’s evil plot is revealed by the ridiculous antics of constable Dogberry (T. A. Taylor) and his nightwatch minions, and all is happily resolved in the end.
This production showcases a stellar cast. Even the smaller parts shine–-the example of Balthasar the belting bellhop, played by Emiliano Pliego, comes immediately to mind. I have never seen the songs written into the play done quite the way Pliego does them. The sound design (by Noah James Heller) was fun and upbeat–-very disco–-and even made me laugh a few times when the villains came on. Adrian Godinez’s Don John was great to watch and surprisingly charismatic. His hapless minions Borachio and Conrade (Carson Wright) are especially entertaining while being interrogated by the watch–-both times. I’m pretty sure I saw fuzzy pink handcuffs on those two when they got caught. I don’t know who came up with that idea but I applaud properties designer Taylor Solice for including it. Honestly, every time Dogberry and his watchmen were onstage I ended up smiling like a loon.
Director Jenni Stewert really pulled together a beautiful production. She showed skillful handling of tricky or important moments such as the framing of Hero, Beatrice’s “Kill Claudio” moment, and at the end of the play when Claudio thinkd he is to marry someone as penance and does not yet know it is Hero he will unveil. The choice of a disco theme let costume designer Ryan Matthieu Smith really let loose and create some gorgeous (and SO sparkly) outfits. Between brilliant design choices and splendid acting, this production really does Shakespeare’s fantastic play justice. As an overall theatre experience this is a 10 out of 10; highly recommended.
WHEN: June 7-July 16, 2023
WHERE: Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre, 1500 Tennison Parkway, Dallas, TX 75223
