“Much Ado About Nothing,” Feb. 12-13, 19-20, 8 p.m.; Feb. 14, 2 p.m., Phoenix Performing Arts Centre (409-411 Main St., Duryea). Tickets: $12.
Info: 570.457.3589.
Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, and with that, a young lover’s fancy often turns to romantic comedy. Though there are usually plenty to choose from at the local multiplex or on DVD, why not try something different and get a healthy dose of love and laughs live on stage? This particular rom-com has it all: Men, women, bickering, misunderstanding, and of course, a happy ending. There’s even a masked ball thrown in for good measure. What’s more, it’s been around for hundreds of years, providing a firm foundation for quarreling couples on screens big and small for centuries to follow. It’s William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” and it’s coming to the Phoenix Performing Arts Centre courtesy of Blamos Productions and director Margaret Walther.
For those who haven’t given Shakespeare a second thought since sophomore English, “Much Ado” tells the story of two couples, Claudio and Hero and Beatrice and Benedick. Upon returning from a successful battle with Don Pedro, Claudio plans to woo Hero, while Benedick vows to remain a confirmed bachelor. After a misunderstanding at a masquerade ball, Hero agrees to marry Claudio. With its wedding a week away, the couple devises a plan to get their contentious counterparts, Beatrice and Benedick, to admit they are in love. Throw in the devious Don John, some conniving servants and a father bound to honor, and complications are bound to arise. But in the true tradition of comedy, love and happiness wins out.
“It focuses on two sets of lovers and explores the way men and women communicate with one another,” Walther explains. “Or don’t communicate with one another, and everything that can result.”
Men, women and miscommunication — sound familiar? Walther definitely had the audience in mind when she chose the play, knowing theatergoers would have no problem relating to “Much Ado’s” characters and situations. Not to mention laughing at them.
“It’s one of my favorite Shakespeare comedies and one of the most accessible shows he has,” she says. “A lot of people approach Shakespeare and think that it’s archaic, but it’s amazing how modern it really is. It has the battle of the sexes, the quest for love, and the comedy itself is just amazing.”
Though this is Walther’s first time in the director’s chair, she’s clearly done her homework and is not intimidated by bringing the Bard’s work to life.
“I’ve been reading Shakespeare since I was a kid, so it really wasn’t difficult for me to find my path in the show,” she says.”
That’s not to say she didn’t have some concerns going into the project. First among those was casting. The production calls for a cast of 17, including 13 men, and a large group of actors can be notoriously hard to find. But she did.
“Through some doubling and extraordinarily talented people, it wasn’t as big a leap as I thought it was going to be,” she says.
And as comfortable as she is with Shakespeare’s tongue, Walther was a bit worried that her cast might stumble over the language, but that hasn’t been the case.
“A lot of people I’m working with have never done Shakespeare before,” she says. “I was prepared to say every line in plain English, but I don’t have to babysit them through every scene, which has been wonderful.”
Walther has been involved in theatre since she was a child, but directing “Much Ado” has given her a look at the other side of the stage. For the first time, she’s had to think about how to pull off an entire production and where the money is coming from to fund it. Walther chose to keep the set and costuming as simple as possible, relying primarily on the actors’ vocalization and body language to tell Shakespeare’s story. In fact, she intentionally didn’t tie the costumes to one particular period, to emphasize “Much Ado’s” timeless nature.
“The situations and the characters could really be in any time,” she explains. “They could go on today in jeans and T-shirts and it would still make sense. There are no men in stockings in this play,” she adds, laughing.
With opening night rapidly approaching, Walther is busy making sure she has all her “ayes” dotted and her “thees” crossed. After a few more rehearsals and last-minute details, she and the rest of the gang at Blamos Productions have nothing to do but hope audiences come and share in the love and laughs of “Much Ado About Nothing.”
“It is essentially the basis of every romantic comedy that’s made,” Walther says. “Beatrice and Benedick have this incredible misunderstanding, it blows up in their faces, and in the end, they realize their love for each other.”
It’s not a bad way to celebrate the holiday for anyone looking for a little traditional romance with no 3-D glasses or $8 sodas in sight.
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