Stage Review: Shakespeare gets his groove on in delightful adaptation

Photo by Shannon Murphy

The onstage chemistry between Mary Buchignani (as Beatrice) and John Hemphill (as Benedick) is genuine in "Much Ado About Nothing." They are married in real life.

Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between a big production and a good production. You go to the theater, the curtain opens and you get sucked into a vortex of theatrics. Fog rolls in from the wings, the costumes look as if they're vintage 16th century, the lights plunge you into another universe. But even with all that showy stuff, a play can seem hollow inside.

Photo by Shannon Murphy

The onstage chemistry between Mary Buchignani (as Beatrice) and John Hemphill (as Benedick) is genuine in "Much Ado About Nothing." They are married in real life.

It often takes seeing a small-scale play done incredibly well to remind you of the real qualities that go into good theater, and among those qualities are the thoughtful little details of acting and direction that often get lost in spectacle.

Bartlett Community Theatre's production of "Much Ado About Nothing" has the conceptual density of a diamond. It's a show that, from first to last, seems immaculately conceived.

Shakespeare, of course, gave the world a canon especially suited to unique adaptations, and in setting the play in the 1960s, director Irene Crist has found a cultural backdrop that isn't merely appropriate, it also amplifies the themes of the script.

Noblemen are depicted as army officers. The gentlewomen, in flowery dresses, are hippies. The bad guys are leather- jacketed greasers, and an assortment of other characters are plucked from '60s pop culture. It all comes together in a sunny, suburban backyard. The brilliant thing about the concept is that it works.

The officers are home from the war, hanging out at the bar in Hawaiian shirts. At the center of the group is Benedick, played by John Hemphill as a confirmed bachelor who is beloved by his comrades for his quick wit. His nemesis, Beatrice (Mary Buchignani), enters with a copy of "The Feminine Mystique," leading her circle of empowered ladies. It's Men vs. Women. War vs. Love. Old Boys Club vs. Feminism. Let the battle commence.

Both Hemphill and Buchignani are wonderfully at ease with the language and with each other (they are married in real life), and you could listen to them trade barbs for hours.

The play surrounds the nuptials of Claudio (Sean Christian Taylor) and Hero (Lee Bryant). When the evil Don John (Steven Brown) manages to sully Hero's reputation and derail the wedding, all the characters learn a lesson about passing judgment.

Crist peppers the show with mood-enhancing tunes from the 1960s that evoke the uplifting promise of the Summer of Love. She also brings in the trivial side, like a hilarious homage to "Laugh-In" or characters from "Get Smart."

Standouts in the cast include Parker Dinwiddie (Leonato), Tony Isbell (Don Pedro), Christopher Tracy (Borachio), John Rone (Dogberry), and Lindsey Roberts (Verges).

"Much Ado About Nothing" is a groovy little Shakespeare production that not only promotes love and harmony, it was also made with it.

"Much Ado About Nothing"

8 tonight and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center, 3663 Appling Road. Tickets are $18. Call 385-6440.

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