Much
Ado About Nothing
From the Playbill – Director’s Notes:
For our sixth season we have chosen a duet
of delights which impressively demonstrate the
extremes of Shakespeare’s range and talent.
From a drizzly grey stone and concrete castle in
England to a warm and sunny terra cotta villa in
Sicily, the settings reflect the widely divergent
stories. Is it possible that the same hand that
penned the monstrous villainy of Richard of Gloucester
could create the exquisitely frothy Much Ado?
It’s as wondrous as if Bertoldt Brecht and
Noel Coward were rolled into one.
And how lucky we are to have
the likes of Ken Grantham and Kimberly King! Energy
is delight and accomplished dexterity a pleasure
to watch. Our Beatrice and Benedick have both, as
does the wonderfully silly Danny Kovacs, who plays
the superbly stupid Dogberry, the bumbling, vastly
self-important constable of the watch who, in the
end, roots out all evil and brings peace. So sit
back, relax, and forget about Bosnia and global warming
for this two hour respite on our stage. For it is
precisely because the world we live in is stressful
and dire that Shakespeare’s comedies are such
a welcome and necessary counterbalance.”
What
the Critics Said:
“Marin’s Much Ado is a
classy production. Marin Shakespeare Festival’s
production of Much Ado is not for
purists. Indeed, it is well-stocked with the
signature shtick of artistic director Robert
Currier – neurotic tics, absurd posturing,
running gags, cosmic interference, and anachronistic
music. But for us ‘groundlings,’ all
this ‘ado’ adds an entertaining
dimension….The production is most accessible,
and the laughs start early…While all
of the acting is worthy of note, Much Ado belongs
to Beatrice and Benedick….Four stars
to Kimberly King and Ken Grantham for stellar
performances.”
Roberta Floden, Marin Independent Journal
(Continued...)
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