It's certainly not easy to adapt an original Shakespeare production these days because, let's face it, people have been doing it for 400 years now, but GroundUp Theatre's annual Chicago Parks Tour does so with a breezy, energetic performance of "Much Ado About Nothing." The story hinges on two reluctant couples (Claudia and Hero, and Beatrice and Benedick) who face a number of humorous misunderstandings—blinding hatred toward one another, cuckoldry, lying knaves—before finally Much A-Doin' It. The cast members display an impressive physicality with their gestures and movements, which is essential for outdoor theater because when planes are flying past and little girls on bicycles are frantically waving at the audience, some of the words are unfortunately lost.
The performance also brings the homoerotic undertones that are rarely addressed to the forefront through the clever use of gender role reversal. Several of the major and minor characters' genders are switched, including one of the play's main romantic couples, Claudia nee Claudio, and Hero nee...Hero. Curiously, the play's contentious moments of misogyny become less cringe-inducing when the genders are reversed.
Supposedly submerged in the "Steampunk" subculture, which is described as "the intersection of technology and romance," "Much Ado" falls short of articulating this subgenre other than through the use of unusual costume choices involving things like pinwheels, spyglasses and an electric blue wig, which, while more interesting than frocks and petticoats, do little to advance the actors' stage presence. Despite a few transgressions, "Much Ado" is a spirited production, with especially peppery performances by Claudia (Melanie Renae) and Benedick (Don Johnson). Best of all, the shows are free, so don't tarry, good Chicagoans; grab a frappuccino and get thee to thy local park.
Reviewed by Centerstage!
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