Some Ado About MUCH ADO

"There is a kind of merry betwixt [them]."

Much Ado About Nothing, one of Shakespeare's most beloved rom-coms, gets the Hamlet Isn't Dead (HID) treatment as the exuberant company kicks off their 2018 season, now housed in the Balcony Theatre at the Center at West Park.

True to HIDiot fashion, there's plenty of music provided by James Powers (Balthazar), Thea Lammers (Margaret) and Maureen Fenninger (Friar), who act as a delightful Greek chorus to the outrageous action on the stage, accompanied by truly rousing tunes by James Overton.  Although this new space forces director James Rightmyer, Jr. into a proscenium set-up, he still manages to find moments of audience interaction and playing spaces among the spectators for his enthusiastic cast.

Long-time HID veterans Morgan Hooper (Verges/Don John, previously Richard II) and Megan Greener (Dogberry, who shone as the titular Henry V) steal the show, with some hilarious antics involving imaginary modes of transportation that in other circumstances wouldn't work, but in their capable hands prove some of the funniest gags throughout the night.  John-Alexander Sakelos (Borachio), and Joe Regan (Don Pedro), acquit themselves well in their roles.  While Heaven Stevens (credited as "Ursula," but taking Antonio's lines, too, and creating the character of Hero's mother) and James Michael Armstrong (Leonato, last seen as Falstaff) work wonders together as Hero's parents, ranging from comical to heartbreak over the course of the play.

Most impressively, Regina Renee Russell as Hero, and Noah Ruff as Claudio (last seen being very French in Merry Wives), take the difficult task of making their storyline of misogyny and misunderstanding still sympathetic in a #MeToo world.  Russell imbues her Hero with an enthusiasm and groundedness that's refreshing to see.  This is a Hero who will be able to hold her own.  While Ruff wisely leans into male swagger and almost unconscious privilege, allowing the commentary on the dangers of the patriarchy to shine through with little effort.  Yet, when Claudio is required to make amends, Ruff imbues his turn of heart with a beautiful gravitas.

Shakespeare lovers will know that although the plot of Much Ado actually revolves around Claudio's mistrust of the innocent Hero...everyone actually goes to the play to see the war of wits between estranged lovers, Benedick and Beatrice.  So how are our favorite sparring partners?  Individually, Michael Thatcher as Benedick and Hayley Palmer as Beatrice acquit themselves well.  Thatcher's use of Shakespeare's language is natural and nuanced; he commands the stage with ease every time he steps on it.  Hayley Palmer is his equal, particularly in mining the script for every double and triple entendre.  Both make good work of every moment of clown, from their gulling scenes to the last exchange of lover letters.  And yet, at least for me, as much as they shone while apart, I didn't quite get the crackle between them.  Left alone with very little blocking for their big emotional scenes, they tended to stay on their own sides of the stage - which may be more a consideration for the director than for the actors themselves.

Overall, though, the cut of the play and the direction, both credited to Executive Director and Co-Founder James Rightmyer, Jr., is smart, sleek, and full of fun.  Rightmyer tends to have a knack in streamlining Shakespeare's works, and Much Ado is no exception.  However, it's been a few years since a HID project was so fully under his command, and it's nice to have him back in the director's chair again.

Hamlet Isn't Dead is dedicated to producing the works of Shakespeare in the chronological order in which they were written.  With Much Ado About Nothing we hit an interesting marker in the canon: Shakespeare the playwright is maturing, as evidenced by the tough material even in this rom-com.  Material that's only going to become more difficult, more nuanced, more serious with every passing play.  In days past, such as with Rightmyer's brilliant direction of all three Henry VI plays, or with their bloody Titus Andronicus directed by Artistic Director and Co-Founder, David Andrew Laws, HID has proven that they are more than capable of playing not only the goofy but the grave in Shakespeare's texts. Much Ado About Nothing is perhaps best served by treating Claudio's misogyny lightly - as this production does.  But it does raise the question of how HID will approach Shakespeare's maturity of material as they make their way through the canon.  Personally, this reviewer would love to see the gentlemen of Hamlet Isn't Dead strive to find a happier medium between the merry and the melancholy as we draw closer and closer to the titular play itself.

But for now, it's fun to visit Messina where we can still have a dance before the serious business of getting married, and where our villains always announce themselves and can be dealt with on another day.  Recommended.

Much Ado About Nothing plays at The Center at West Park, 165 West 86th Street, NYC, through Saturday, March 24, 2018.

Tickets through Eventbrite.

James Powers (Balthazar), Morgan Hooper (Verges) and Megan Greener (Dogberry) steal the show with their music and antics.  (Photo courtesy of Hamlet Isn't Dead.)

Hayley Palmer as Beatrice and Michael Thatcher as Benedick in HID's Much Ado About Nothing.  (Photo courtesy of Hamlet Isn't Dead.)

Read the Companion Article: "A Rebellious Romance: A Defense of Girly Narratives"

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