Shakespeare under the stars

Durango Theatreworks presents ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at Fort Lewis College

Shakespeare can be a hard sell in the world of modern theatre. But when a Shakespearean comedy is set high atop a mountain in an intimate outdoor amphitheater, the beloved bard’s tale is told the way it is meant to be. Perhaps this is why Durango Theatreworks chose the Busby Amphitheater on the campus of Fort Lewis College for its reimagined version of Much Ado About Nothing and billed it as “Shakespeare Under the Stars.”

The play is the first full-length production for the new theatre company, and it is cast using seven actors to fill 13 roles. Director Robert Faires says it’s fun for the audience to see an actor play more than one part. “It’s kind of like a little magic trick, where now they’re one person and poof, now, they’re another person.

There were some economics to it, since this is Durango Theatreworks’ inaugural season, but Faires says he preferred casting the show with a smaller group of actors to provide a “surprise” to the audience.

Something else Faires did with Much Ado About Nothing is set it in the 1940s at the end of  World War II. With the comedy set in modern times, there are no British accents. This too works well, when the actors are able to keep the timing and rhythm, ensuring the jokes and inuendo are not lost on the audience.

Faires also weaves 1940s music into the plot, using songs with purposeful lyrics to help relay a message or guide an actor down an emotional path, which might have been difficult to navigate without the tune. On more than one occasion, the actors sing along with the lyrics, adding depth and ambiance to the performance.

Shakespeare wrote strong independent female roles in Much Ado About Nothing, seemingly broaching the argument for sexual equality. It’s a topic Faires wanted to play on, something he felt more able to do by setting the play at the end of World War II.

“There’s a lot about gender and who does what – what men do; what women do. There’s a lot of that, which Shakespeare was writing about four centuries ago,” Faires says, adding that the post-war America also addressed those issues. “So that seemed to be a period when we had Rosie the Riveter, and women were going out of the homes to work in industries because of the war effort. Then, the men came home, and there was some friction – what does a man do, what does a woman do now.”

The setting works, especially with the lively and confirmed spinster Beatrice, portrayed beautifully by Isabelle Herringer. Beatrice is the picture of women’s liberation. She doesn’t need a husband, seemingly doesn’t want to be in love and even encourages her cousin Hero to disobey her father. Herringer encompasses the spirited and independent Beatrice from the moment she steps on the stage. She has a confidence and air about herself, which she holds onto throughout the performance. Even when Beatrice admits she is in love with Benedick, Herringer almost makes the audience believe it was her idea – part of a secret plan.

The plan didn’t come from Beatrice; it was a scheme cooked up by almost everyone else in the play. The characters weave a tangled web of magic, using made-up words to help Beatrice and Benedick overlook their differences to discover love. Benedick, played by Holden Grace, holds his own when paired with Herringer. Even as he hides behind objects on a sparsely set stage to eavesdrop on conversations about Beatrice’s desires for Benedick, Grace responds brilliantly.

Jay Hall, who plays Leonato and Dogberry, also is fun to watch, keeping up with the rhythm of Shakespeare’s words. Hall projects and speaks clearly, making him easy to understand and quite funny.

Despite the intimate, 100-seat venue, some of the dialogue gets lost because the actors can be difficult to hear. However, their facial expressions and body language assist in getting the point across. The lighting is simple, but well done. The sparsely decorated set does not take away from the experience, it actually adds to it.

Much Ado About Nothing is a fine contemporary production to be enjoyed by all, and one Durango Theatreworks is using to show it can be a strong contender as a start-up professional theatre company in Southwest Colorado.