Brass Tacks shows ‘Much Ado’ in first of three Shakespeare plays
ANN ARBOR, MI–The nice thing about Shakespeare for an up and coming theatre company is that the material is so good that it can make up for lack of production value that a small company must live with.
Such is the case with Much Ado About Nothing, performed by the Brass Tacks Ensemble Troupe, a plucky company that has been around for a bit, but is now reaching up to the ranks of “professional,” as it pays its performers.
The lack of production value has to do with the space in which Brass Tacks is performing this, the first of three, Shakespeare plays through the end of the summer. The Children’s Creative Center, a pre-school, has a space–normally used for rehearsals and master classes, etc.–but occasionally finds itself home to a community theatre effort. The little play stoves and refrigerators the kids play with by day can be seen pushed up against the wall.
There is theatre lighting in the small space, but director James Inagiola chose not to avail himself. Instead, the performance space was lit by seven hanging incandescent paper lantern style lights, which unfortunately cast a pallor over the space and atmosphere. This is Shakespeare stripped down.
Costumes were street clothes, with some variation linking to roles. Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, for example, was wearing a sport jacket. Other players were in solid color shirts and black trousers.
At times, the show feels like we are watching the culmination of a Shakespeare acting class rather than a “production.,” but that is due to the space and limitations, not the talent of many of the actors.
Much Ado About Nothing is an interesting choice to perform in a space that is as big as some large finished basements I have been in. Wisely, Inagiola chose to use the entire space. Seating was set up with chairs along each side of the rectangular space, facing toward the middle of the room where much of the action takes place. Entrances and exits included doors and passage ways at both ends.
The story: At Messina, Don Pedro, a prince from Aragon (Isaac Ellis), returns from a successful battle. Beatrice (Amanda Photenhauer), niece of Leonato (Craig Ester) inquires about Benedick (Amy Bogetto-Weinraub) as there is clearly more than a passing interest by her in Benedick’s faring in the battle. In the true spirit of Shakespere, women play some of the male roles.
Upon the arrival of the soldiers, Leonato welcomes Don Pedro and invites him to stay for a month, Benedick and Beatrice resume their “merry war,” and Pedro’s illegitimate brother Don John (Mary Conley) enters the picture. Soldier Claudio’s (Maegen Murphy) feelings for Hero (Brittany Batell), Leonato’s only daughter, are stirred upon seeing her, and Claudio announces to Benedick his intention to pursue her. Benedick, however, openly loathes marriage, and tries to dissuade his friend.
It is classic Shakespeare with plots, love interests that cross one another like arrows flying across a field in opposite directions. A wedding is finally planned, but Don John, the “bastard prince”, plots to prevent the nuptials. He tells Don Pedro and Claudio that Hero is unfaithful, and arranges for them to see John’s associate, Borachio (Kate Topham) enter her bedchamber where he has an amorous liaison [actually with Margaret(Sara Long), Hero’s chambermaid]. Claudio and Don Pedro are taken in, and Claudio vows to humiliate Hero publicly.
And so it goes. There is, of course, false death that follows where Hero is thought to be dead, but then appears at the wedding. There are true confessions of love to wrap things up fairly neatly. The only one left out in the cold is Don Pedro, because he is the one who has not found love in the end. The highly debatable advice given him by Benedick is “Get Thee A Wife.”
The ensemble of actors delivering on the spritely material does an admirable job. Singling out individual performances seems beside the point, like trying to single out which oarsmen is pulling harder or better on a scull boat as it slices through the water.
The material is splendid, and the effort and hard work of this troupe is as obvious as the potential of this company to do great things as it matures and finds its legs and funding.