Pulse
. ‘Much Ado’ actors find new humor in old script
The University’s production
of the Shakespearean farce
is filled with wit and comedy
By Ryan Nyburg
Senior Pulse Reporter
These days William Shakespeare is
not so much a playwright as he is a
standard by which theater produc
tions are judged. The common logic
is that if you can't perform Shake
speare, you can't perform. Because the
quality of a given play is rarely ever in
dispute, the performance is the sole
ground on which to critique a Shake
speare production.
Let's step away from that mindset
for a moment and say this concerning
"Much Ado About Nothing": Most
people do not find 500-year-old puns
funny. Because humor is based heavi
ly on a frame of cultural references
that an original audience will have
but the following audience may not,
it often translates poorly.
I lowever, this is not the case with
the University's version of the play,
which finds new forms of humor
within the script through emphasiz
ing different aspects of the dialog,
comic stage direction and the simple
pleasures of extreme overacting.
One of Shakespeare's better (and
wittier) farces, "Much Ado About
Nothing" deals with a group of soldiers
staying in the home of the governor of
Messina and the various romances and
intrigues that occur during their visit.
The play is well cast, particularly in the
case of leads Sarah Griner and Chris
Hirsh, both juniors, who play the bat
tling lovers Beatrice and Benedick.
Griner handles Beatrice's fork-tongued
dialogue with grace, occasionally
adding emphasis where it will have a
more modem effect. The not-so-subtle
way she pronounces "Benedick" is a
good example.
Hirsh aims for a more over-the
top style of acting, and at times
seems to be channeling the spirit of
an "In Living Color''-era Jim Carrey.
The fact that he bears an uncanny re
semblance to America's favorite fart
smith only solidifies the compari
son. One of the play's true pleasures
is watching him spew streams of
frantic Elizabethan gibberish while
prancing around like some Jerry
Lewis bastard child in a pair of un
flattering tights. During the play's
dramatic middle section, his comic
overacting also makes his change
into a more serious character all the
more poignant.
Other roles also deserve mention.
Junior Alexander Dupre, as the treach
erous Don John, is fortunate to be
blessed with a face that just shouts,
"Hi, I'm evil." Sophomore Jordan
Wolfer, as the comic Constable Dog
berry, seems to have developed a set
of mannerisms and is determined to
wear them into the ground. That's a
compliment, by the way.
The production also works be
yond the acting. The costume and
set design follow one of the modern
precepts of Shakespearean produc
tions, which jettisons historical ac
curacy in exchange for an expres
sionist amalgamate of colorful styles
from different periods. In this case
director Robert Barton has made the
odd choice of flamenco as the tone
setter. Spanish dress and dance fill
the performance, which is interest
ing considering the play is set in Sici
ly. Of course, this is imposing purist
logic where it is neither desired nor
necessary, and the style is pleasing to
the eye without distracting from the
play itself.
Dance factors into a large portion of
the production, with tango and
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Tim Bobosky Photographer
Chris Hirsh and Sarah Griner practice on April 29 for their roles as Benedick and Beatrice for the University production of Shakespeare’s
"Much Ado About Nothing.” The play runs through May 29 at the Robinson Theatre.
flamenco as the choreographic styles of
choice. While some of the dancing is
stiff, (it is easy to see who has taken a
dancing class) it's well done and never
interrupts the pace of the performance.
Overall, the play is well done and
works as distracting entertainment,
which is exactly what a farce such as
this is meant to be.
Contact the senior Pulse reporter
at ryannyburg@dailyemerald.com.
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What: ‘‘Much Ado About Nothing”
Where: Robinson Theatre
When: 8 p.m. May 20 to 22, May
28 and 29; 2 p.m. May 23
How much: $5 for University
students (with ID); $9 for seniors,
University faculty/staff and non*
University students; and $12 for
the general public. Tickets are
available in advance at the EMU
Ticket Office and at the University
Theatre Box Office the night of
performance.
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