To continue the celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Shakespeare Theatre Company is offering Washington an effervescent production of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” lifted out of its usual setting in Sicily and transferred to the vibrant, spicy culture of Cuba in the mid-1930s. It’s a clever transposition, since the romantic comedy is all about a physically charged atmosphere where sex and love are just waiting to explode. On a rural estate where many eligible young women reside, an army that has just been successful in war passes by. Romantic sparks fly in every direction.
A young nobleman who has distinguished himself in battle, Claudio (Ryan Garbayo), falls madly in love with the estate owner’s daughter, Hero (Kate Hurster). Another soldier, Benedick (Derek Smith). falls in love with Beatrice (Kathryn Meisle), though their path to love is not so smooth. They verbally attack and parry in some of Shakespeare’s most imaginative arguing.
| Onstage |
| ‘Mucho Ado About Nothing’ |
| Where: The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW |
| When: Through Jan. 1 |
| Info: $20 to $100; 202-547-1122; ShakespeareTheatre.org |
Many elements contribute to this production’s success. First, director Ethan McSweeny knows how to handle Shakespeare’s comedy, making it quick, comprehensible and surprising. At the start of the play, for instance, Beatrice and Benedick are sworn enemies. McSweeny understands how to demonstrate the amusing, delicate process that leads to their mutual change of heart.
The second reason this “Much Ado” is such a delicious experience is that all the actors in it are superb, capable of capturing subtle details as well as broad humor. Hurster and Smith are particularly brilliant as the warring Beatrice and Benedick. Ted van Griethuysen invests his Dogberry with ultimate nonsense, reveling in outrageous malapropisms.
Leonato, the owner of the estate, is portrayed as a gracious host by Adrian Sparks. David Emerson Toney plays Don Pedro as a stalwart officer, returning victorious from his campaign against his rebellious brother Don John (Matthew Saldivar). On press night, understudy Janel Miley did an excellent job taking over the role of Hero’s gentlewoman.
Lee Savage’s set is a Caribbean confection, a sugarcane plantation painted ochre and turquoise. Around a central courtyard are two levels of arched doorways and plantation shades. Plants and flowers define every available space: hibiscus, palms, orchids, bougainvillea. Costume designer Clint Ramos reflects the bright colors of the flowers, muted slightly, in the women’s soft, ankle-length dresses.
Composer Steven Cahill creates lively music to accompany dance sequences and to refresh Shakespeare’s familiar songs. Choreographer Marcos Santana uses rumbas, tangos and cha-chas to reinforce the energy and sensuality that function as subtext throughout the play.
With its brilliant visual and musical elements, its bubbling prose and incisive observation of human nature, this “Much Ado” will doubtless remain a favorite Shakespeare Theatre Company production.
