18 Nov 2009

“Much Ado” Brightens Fall at Folger

Much Ado About Nothing runs through November 21st at Folger Theater

Much Ado About Nothing at Folger Theater

Director Timothy Douglas gives us a uniquely-DC take on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing at the Folger Theater.  Set in present day against the backdrop of the DC Caribbean Carnival, it is a bright, engaging retelling of the witty back-and-forth between an avowed bachelor and bachelorette, Benedick and Beatrice, and the consequences of meddling in the battle between the sexes.

More than most of the other comedies by Shakespeare, Much Ado is long on prose and wordplay.  Here, some characters add a Caribbean lilt, an accent I thought worked with the musical dialogue. The seesaw of teasing insults between Beatrice and Benedick, played by Rachel Leslie and Howard Overshown, started off a bit harsh on Leslie’s part, but soon established its equilibrium.  Although so much of the action and enjoyment hinges on the spoken interplay between characters, it is the unspoken touches, like the eye-catching Caribbean Carnival masks, that add authenticity and create camaraderie and familiarity between the actors and the audience.

As with many of my favorite plays by Shakespeare, it is some of the so-called minor characters that shine.  The neighborhood watchman Dogberry and his sidekick Verges, played by Alex Perez and Matt MacNelly, always grabbed my attention with their banter and physicality.  You’ll also notice lots of ladies on the stage, which is often a rarity with Shakespeare.  Douglas took advantage of the backdrop to fold in the maternal aspects of Caribbean culture and also cast a woman in the traditionally male role of Borachio.  The all-female ritualistic interludes were a bit lost on me, but the overall effect was still a good one.

Though I went in a bit of a skeptic, I left feeling like this interpretation of Much Ado will be one of my favorites for a long time to come.

Much Ado About Nothing
Runs through November 29th
Folger Shakespeare Theater
201 East Capitol Street, SE
Box Office:  202-544-7077

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