Eyes will water, sides will hurt and pants will be wet from laughing too hard at the Folger Theatre's production of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing."
Director Nick Hutchison placed this comedy about two people who were tricked into admitting their love for one another in the early days of post-WWII England, with the return of Don Pedro's American soldiers to Leonato's English country estate.
The fa?ade of Leonato's (Timmy Ray James) estate was the setting throughout the show as the audience follows the journey to love between Benedick (P.J. Sosko) and Beatrice (Kate Eastwood Norris). James Kronzer's design for the simple one-set stage allowed for far more physical acting and quicker scene changes.
The relationship between Beatrice and Benedick is the main focus of the play, but one cannot forget about the relationship between Hero (Tiffany Fillmore) and Claudio (Dean Alai). In fact, it is the announcement and complications of Claudio and Hero's wedding that prompts Don Pedro (James Denvil) to push Beatrice and Benedick at each other.
The production was surrounded by big band, swing and early movie mood music with dancing. The music was perfect for Hutchison's vision of "Much Ado About Nothing." All the scene changes were emphasized with the musical interludes commonly heard in the early talking picture age of the '30s and '40s.
Beatrice and Benedick have great chemistry on stage. The sharp tongues of Norris and Sosko resulted in hilarious scenes between the leading characters. In addition to vocal comedy, Norris and Sosko were great comedic actors physically, using the entire stage to hide, play and trick themselves into falling in love. The lovebirds also broke the fourth wall and addressed the audience several times throughout the production, helping the audience to feel as if they were a part of the play.
Sosko was definitely the best part. He not only used his vocal talent but also physical movement to help the audience understand Shakespeare's words. If for no other reason, go and see Sosko hang from the set by his hands and feet.
All the acting was fabulous, although there were moments when Alai's portrayal of Claudio was rather stiff. Fortunately, Alai's stiffness disappeared as the play progressed.
As in any good production, there must be a great villain, and Don John (Jim Jorgensen) was excellent. Hutchison could not have picked a better villain than Jorgensen. Imagine Jafar from Disney's Aladdin, only instead of a sorcerer, he's a member of Al Capone's gangster group. Jorgensen's dry humor and sheer wickedness made him the best choice for "a plain-dealing villain."
Dogberry the watchman (Jim Zidar) was the comedic relief in the second act as the main characters become overly serious. He took command of the stage with false anger in an overly dramatic scene when Conrad calls him "an ass."
While the second act was not as humorous as the first, the emotional struggle of the main characters was performed in a moving way that helped the ending become even more joyful. The cast even ends the production with a dance, which can never be wrong.
"Much Ado About Nothing" keeps the audience so enthralled that no one will notice it's two and a half hours long. Catch a ride to Union Station - and bring an extra pair of underwear.
