Bard comes to Bartlett theater for rare staging

Bartlett Community Theatre

Friar (Ron Gephart, center) reveals the resurrected Hero (Lee Bryant) to Claudio (Sean Christian Taylor) in Bartlett Community Theatre's "Much Ado About Nothing."

In the 25 years since Bartlett Community Theatre has been staging plays, the first title by William Shakespeare goes up this weekend.

It wasn't because the theater's board of directors suddenly noticed a void of Renaissance drama in its repertoire. Rather, "Much Ado About Nothing" is having a two-weekend run because a handful of actors said they could make it happen.

Bartlett Community Theatre

Friar (Ron Gephart, center) reveals the resurrected Hero (Lee Bryant) to Claudio (Sean Christian Taylor) in Bartlett Community Theatre's "Much Ado About Nothing."

"The idea was pitched to us," said Greg Broy, chairman of the theater board. "They wanted to do their dream roles."

"Much Ado About Nothing" is a comedy about love and fidelity. It features one of the Bard's most famous couples, Beatrice and Benedick, who are essentially tricked into falling in love with each other.

The concept for the production originated last year when a few actors were waiting to go onstage at Circuit Playhouse for "Orson's Shadow."

"We were passing the time and the question came up: What's a role you've always wanted to play?" recollects actor John Hemphill. "My wife (Mary Buchignani) said that her dream role was to play Beatrice, but she thought she was too old to ever be cast in it."

Irene Crist, a Playhouse company member and also a local director, disagreed. She said that Benedick and Beatrice could be better as a middle-aged couple.

Hemphill contacted Bartlett Community Theatre the next day and asked if they'd consider staging the production. The rest, as they say, is theater history.

This won't be the first time that Hemphill and Buchignani have played love interests. Just last season they starred in a Rhodes College production of "Skin of our Teeth." And in 2005, Hemphill proposed to his wife onstage, after they starred together in Playhouse on the Square's "Humble Boy."

But under Crist's direction, the production became one of those rare summer shows that many top local actors were eager to reschedule their vacations to be in.

"If you're an actor, you wanna feel like you can jump into Shakespeare," Hemphill said. "Everybody wants to do Shakespeare and everybody wants to work with Irene Crist."

Crist sets her show in the 1960s, a time, she says, when women were just starting to find their voices. She wanted to create a contrast between the young and impulsive couple -- Hero and Claudio -- and the more mature couple, Beatrice and Benedick.

The theater opted for a more intimate-style seating arrangement: the audience sits on the stage, for a close-up view of the action.

In keeping with the 1960s theme, a duo of bumbling constables are styled like Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 from "Get Smart."

A priest is reminiscent of Jerry Garcia.

"The weird thing is that it all fits so perfectly in the script," Hemphill said. "None of this is distracting from the story."

"Much Ado About Nothing"

8 tonight through Sunday and July 31-Aug. 2 at the Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center, 3663 Appling Road. Tickets are $18. Call 385-6440.

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