TOOELE — Tooele Valley Theatre made Shakespeare‘s most loved comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, a delightful array of skilled performing, well-timed direction, and meaningful moments. The directing was fantastic, with many parts of this show made more clear with the way it was told. I appreciated every performer and the skill they had to bring the story to life.
Show closes August 2, 2024.
Remember Beatrice and Benedick? They were both at it again, teasingly spiteful of the other, and refusing to back down from their high horses. The love-struck Claudio was enamored with Hero, all the while the cunning Don John was scheming to destroy their happiness. Dogberry and Verges tangled up the story line with their ridiculous antics in attempting to perform guard duty. Every line of Shakespeare is essential, and TVT made this show understandable and fun.
The characters started out onstage chatting with each other in character before production started, making me feel like I was part of the show. Chad Henwood directed this play, set in the scenic outdoor theater with sun setting through the trees. Several times the performer would face the audience and talk directly at us. At first, some of the characters were speaking in manners that seemed off for Shakespeare, but after a while I realized it was helping me to catch every line that I may have missed in past performances. For example, Henwood was having Benedick speak like a high school preppy kid, and it turned out to be funny and engaging. The Friar, by contrast, spoke in an English accent, which was fitting for the role. I loved the choice to change Antonio to Antonia and her threat to Claudio for his slander was powerful coming from that new angle.
It was easy to hear despite no microphones, and even with the characters hiding from each other and talking quietly. I was in the front row, however, so I may have had an advantage. Henwood designed the sound as well, and I loved the classical music that accompanied the scenes, as well as the new versions of the songs in the play performed by Raine Eldredge as Balthasar, which sounded like old Celtic music. I wish their medieval-looking dance in the first act had been repeated at the end after they said “let’s dance,” which would have made the play feel more complete. I also liked how they used the wilderness area to the side of the stage, which had some funny moments in the background.
The cast of Tooele Valley Theatre’s “Much Ado About Nothing”.
Bridgett Long as Dogberry and Ada Lauren Taylor as Verges made a hilarious duo. The banter between them was so funny my sides hurt by the end. I loved how Long would exhale a word out with her last breath to emphasize it, and how Taylor was up in other performers faces- glaring, barking, and just being uncomfortably close without breaking character. The crazy confusing lines they had made perfect sense the way they said them, and the way Henwood directed them. I don’t know of another director who has done this much to make Dogberry and Verges’ parts so clear; probably because when it’s done this well, they kind of steal the show, which I’m not at all sorry about.
Despite all that, I was very moved by the performances of Claudio, played by Koda Smith, and Leonato, played by Blake Warner. They had a large amount of pain to go through and for Smith, a lot of change in emotion, which was extremely well performed. Smith was remorseful when he had to read the epitaph to Hero’s grave. Warner’s anger at Smith for “killing” his daughter was powerful, and I enjoyed his and Smith’s sneaky lines to trick Benedick into love. Don Pedro, played by Ryan Munsey, was very regal and proper, and this fit his role excellently.
I always love the plot to make cold, hard Beatrice, played by Zel McAllister, fall in love with stubborn Benedick, played by Megan Bishop. McAllister was fun to watch and had a great stage presence. She was able to switch between being carefree and lighthearted in the first act, to being hurt, bitter, and vengeful with intensity for the second. Bishop may have had the most overwhelming amount of lines, but was skilled in getting the meaning across during each scene. I especially appreciated Bishop’s style of the line, “There’s a double meaning in that.”
I enjoyed Much Ado very much. Henwood’s great directing, and Long’s hilarious performing, along with many others, made this play a wonderful respite from the daily grind. This would be a great option for adults and older children who have been introduced to Shakespeare.
