Much Ado About Nothing Performed by Classical Actors Ensemble is Shakespeare in MN Parks

Classical Actors Ensemble (CAE) is Performing one of William Shakespeare’s most accessible comedies this summer in parks all over the Twin Cities and surrounding area. Much Ado About Nothing is the perfect play for this kind of endeavor, it’s light, funny, and the language is surprisingly modern for a play well over 400 years old. I attended a performance at Water Works Park in Downtown Minneapolis by the Mississippi River. We packed a picnic dinner (which is encouraged) and sat on our blanket eating fruit, cheese, hummus, and crackers, sipping on some Raspberry Lemonade. It was a perfect evening for an outdoor play, and the performers were so close you could reach out and touch them, but don’t do that. It felt like we were in Italy and a part of the proceedings. This is an ideal environment in which to introduce younger people or folks who have never been able to tune into Shakespeare. You’ve got snacks, you’re out in nature and the cast does a wonderful job of making the play not just understandable but genuinely funny.

The play is the model on which all modern day “will they or won’t they” romances are based. If you thought it was Sam and Diane from Cheers, I think you’ll realize once you see it that they, and all that followed, owe much to Benedick and Beatrice as well as other Shakespeare lovers who are too wise to woo peaceably. The story is the tale of two sets of lovers one young and experiencing love for the first time and the second older, more seasoned. The action kicks off when Don Pedro and his men fresh from battle come to stay at the estate of Leonato. One of Don Pedro’s men, Claudio, falls in love with Leonato’s daughter Hero. An engagement is set but Don Pedro’s brother, Don John who in his own words is a ‘plain-dealing villain’, hatches a plan to breakup the happy couple. Claudio and Hero’s story is the earnest straightforward romance, and quite effective as such. The second romance is between Benedick and Beatrice, old verbal sparring partners who never come into one another’s company without trading insults. Don Pedro, Claudio, Leonato, and Hero have decided to see if they can trick Benedick and Beatrice into falling in love with each other while they await the wedding day. Much merriment and some moments of heartbreak ensue.

The key to successfully performing Shakespeare is to make the dialogue feel as natural as possible. Conveying through performance, the meaning of the words even if at times, the words have lost their meaning over the last four centuries. The words themselves are wonderful, but they need an actor who understands the message that each line is imparting to the audience and has the craft to make that meaning clear. This cast does a fantastic job not only in communicating to the audience so that we have no problem following along, but also in using the performance space. This troupe of players had never performed in this space before, but the actors seemed perfectly at home, going up into the audience and using the walkways all around the set. Charlotte McDaniel and Tom Conry play Beatrice and Benedick and make for spirited sparring partners. They are a living illustration of the different ways in which to play Shakespeare that can work for a modern audience. McDaniel plays the more restrained performance which serves as an example of how Shakespeare can feel very subtle and “today”. Conry plays it rather large, but in doing so he engages and even interacts with the audience, showing how the humor can still work. Jin Suh makes for a well tempered Don Pedro, he has the gravitas of the commander of an army, but also feels real, showing some vulnerability in a moment when a proposal is denied. Two smaller roles I wanted to mention as well, firstly M. Smith Fraser as Constable Dogberry. This is a role that is sheer comic relief and one in which different performers can bring their own wild takes. In this production Dogberry and his partner Verges are combined into the character of Dogberry, who uses a sock puppet on his hand for the Verges lines, suggesting that he was probably kicked in the head by an Ass at some point in his life. It’s a character that always gets big laughs and Fraser’s approach is unique and quite entertaining. Lastly, in a couple of very small roles is Tim Perfect, who especially in the role of Friar Francis, stood out as perhaps the best in terms of ability to speak the lines in a way that captured their eloquence, their meaning, and felt completely naturalistic.

This is my favorite of Shakespeare’s comedies, and this was a delightful production. I encourage everyone to check it out when it comes to your local park. It’s running through July 16th for more information and to find where and when it plays go to https://classicalactorsensemble.org/. The performances are free of charge, but donations are welcome to help pay for the cost of putting on these performances.

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