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Fresh perspective, enhanced by WWII set, makes the fun of 'Much Ado' contagious
By Lizzy Scully
Shakespeare, often difficult for the uninitiated to understand, was more familiar in the 1940s setting created by Director Kirstie Gulick Rosenfield and the team that worked with her to produce the play. The idea of military men coming back from war to confront women changed by their experiences in the workplace matched well with the same Shakespearean theme of Much Ado About Nothing, said Rosenfield. Characters like the quick-witted and fiercely independent Beatrice could very well have been a "Rosie the Riveter" of the WWII period. The play's plots centered on the making and breaking of love matches. As always in Shakespeare a beautiful and innocent central female -- in this case, named Hero --establishes the initial romantic storyline, which involves her friends, her father and other relatives, and her lover and his friends. This leads to other subplots that mainly involve the friends of the main love partners. There is, as always, a bad guy who creates misunderstanding that causes a minor tragedy. In this play the developments of the subplots were the most hilarious and interesting. The dialogue between Beatrice and her rival and eventual lover, Benedick, was dynamic and a highlight that kept the audience laughing. Two other favorites were the supporting characters Constable Dogberry and his sidekick Verges, who were dressed in army fatigues and armed with grenades, handcuffs and other WWII paraphenalia. The costumes and state set were equally enjoyable. The stage, the brainchild of guest set designer Ron Ranson Jr., was a World War II Army medal that was expanded from 2 inches to 40 feet. With this stage "we created a new world all of its own," Rosenfield said. Ranson, who flew back and forth from UC-San Diego, has 35 years of design experience under his belt. This was apparent in the professional and creative construction that established the post-WWII atmosphere. All of the scenes, from the Christmas ball to plotting of the characters to make or break love matches, were enhanced by the set design. The colorful and interesting costumes were designed to resemble 1940s-type clothing. The Christmas ball costumes were elaborate and the flamboyant celebratory feelings of watching the men and women dance around the stage was contagious. The cast took obvious joy in their collaborative efforts to develop the characters, costumes and setting of the play and this was parlayed to the audience. "It's been a lot of fun to work on the play," said Rosenfied. She said that the whole experience has been rewarding because she loves to direct and that many people have brought their own ideas to blend with hers. "This is one of the best experiences I've ever had, especially the creative team," Ranson said. "It's a dream to come here and work with this department and this town. I'd come back here in a second." "There's a real company feeling here," he said. "The students are really a very productive unit. It's a very helpful department. The theater department has a lot of good will." Performances are Friday and Saturday, and Dec. 9-11. Specialty tours
and lectures, as well as group tickets sales, may be reserved by calling
435-797-1500. For tickets call the USU Spectrum Ticket Office at 435-797-0305.
Curtain at 8 p.m., Morgan Theatre. |
Archived Months:
September
1998 |
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