By Hannah Gray
Even one week before opening night, the "Much Ado About Nothing" cast seems to have everything down.
The play is well on its way, as seen through the cooperation and cohesion of the actors, director and management. They have been united by the hard work and the many hours spent over the past four weeks, both on and off the stage. This unity and collaboration was clear in the acting during Wednesday's dress rehearshal.
The play begins Wednesday at 7:30 in Mago Hunt and runs through Nov. 23. Students get in free both Wednesday and Thursday night.
Directed by graduate student Robin Bowles and set in 1940s Hawaii, the play's transformation to a more modern time does not lose the allure of the Shakespearean message. The story is meant to take place half a year to a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Junior Devin Olson, playing the role of Claudio, thinks that the semi-modern setting will help students. "Hopefully they will be more open to the idea of Shakespeare," Olson said.
Olson described the play as a love story with a clashing of cultures. He wants the audience to "take away the conflict that goes on when two cultures collide."
This take on "Much Ado" shows the American soldiers who came into Hawaii and invaded lives, as well as the cultural differences between the two main characters. Olson believes the play will get people thinking about what they are doing, and how this concept applies to what is going on today.
Thus far, the acting is considerably strong, and the actors seem well on their way to a close-to-perfect performance.
The dynamic between Bowles and the actors is both understanding and collaborative. This relationship clearly allows for more mobility for the actors within their parts. Both the actors and Bowles equally decide what way gives the best performance, creating a calm and trusting atmosphere.
"Robin has provided an overall shape to the play, but has provided room for the actors to explore and bring something to the table," sophomore Danielle Larson, who playsHero, said.
This exploration was visible as the actors and Bowles worked through semi-awkward scenes, trying to perfect them. Bowles listened to what the actors thought their characters would do, and the actors listened to Bowles about how to strengthen their performances.
Although only seen through a few scenes, the actors seemed to have an insightful understanding of their characters and the play as a whole. They talked in terms of their characters and how they would behave as if it were reality and they truly seemed aware of the world they created.
The tension created between the actors, especially between Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio, is really present. These interactions between characters made the acting seem as if it were happening in actuality.
Although the actors have many loose ends to tie up before their first show on Wednesday, the presence of the play is obvious despite tensions among actors.
Toward the end, during the matrimonial scene between Claudio and Hero, the two dance, making it a very tender moment where the audience could sense the betrayal and anger coming from Claudio. And as the two, along with other cast members, started verbally fighting, the viewer could see the disbelief, frustration and hurt running through each characters as if it were happening in plain sight.
The interaction between Beatrice and Benedick is very reminiscent of the Shakespearean play - a connection that is tied together through a silent love, stubbornness and coyness. This is seen through Beatrice's willfulness and Benedick's strong, yet quiet pursuit for her.
Overall, the acting really makes this play a winner. Between the major actors and the minor parts, everyone seems to be focused. Each scene receives great attention, however minor it may be.
There seems to be a perfect balance between comedy and drama. There are some very comical and bleak moments to the play. "Everything is heightened on stage. You really have to work and fight for it," Olson said.
The cast has been working on the play for about four weeks now. They rehearse at Mago Hunt Sunday through Thursday nights for about four hours.
Senior David Harrell, who plays Benedick, said the acting has been a constant emergent. "It is essentially constant," Harrell said in regards to the practice and memorization.
The cast members even get together for dinner, coffee, to talk and rehearse, said Larson. They do so to get to know the dynamics of the character and how their character interacts with everyone else.
There has been much preparation for this play, and it is evident in the interactions and unity between the characters.
