Written by orange• October 24, 2024• 12:34 am• fullerton, Review, The Electric Company, Theater, Uncategorized

Electric Company Presents: Much Ado About Nothing @ The Muck – Review

Photo by Dave Smithson

Written by Patrick Chavis

Much Ado About Nothing is playing now at Muckenthaler Center in Fullerton from Oct 21 – Nov 13, 2024.

Reimagined as an Italian restaurant set in the 1980s, Shakespeare’s beloved rom-com Much Ado About Nothing transforms the Muckenthaler Center’s courtyard into the zaniest wedding party in the 92833.

Story:

Much Ado About Nothing is a Shakespearean comedy centered around two couples: Benedick (Bobby Gonzalez) and Beatrice (Callie Prendiville Johnson) and Hero (Emma Camille Ignacio) and Claudio (Jonathan Herrera). Rumor and deception is the name of the game in this play. As a lifetime bachelor, Benedick is tricked into believing that Beatrice likes him, and the same goes for Beatrice. While this is going on, young Claudio is fooled into thinking his recent fiancee has been unfaithful. Will they ever learn the truth? This and more in Much Ado about Nothing.

Set Design:

This is set in an Italian restaurant, cleverly named Leonato’s, and you can pay to sit at the dinner table. It’s not play food. They serve real food at this play. I turned it down, and as I saw Beatrice serving people lasagna, I realized I had made a horrible mistake because it looked so good. Whether you are sitting at one of the dinner tables or the viewing tables set off to the side, the action in this play happens all over the courtyard. Sometimes simultaneously and other times in a more focused capacity. This makes it not a show where you can sit and stare in one direction. You must be engaged.

Lighting/Acting/Costume Design:

I will say I thought the mood lighting in the courtyard was never too extreme. It was romantic and easy on the eyes (am I talking about light?). The slight change in light from certain sections of the courtyard communicated transitions in scenes very effectively, from the main courtyard to the makeshift bar they created on the right side of the outdoor stage.

Like being in a popular, busy restaurant, the actors are constantly moving as they talk through what can often be cumbersome language. The pacing issues did become an issue with some of the performances, but I will say there is an excellent sense of recovery, even with fumbles, that often lasted only seconds.

Tana Carmichael’s costume design, a combination of well-fitted army fatigues and wait staff attire, would have been enough. But then they had to drop a simple but functional wedding dress, which perfectly suited the modest and quiet Hero.

I am not usually the biggest fan of the character Dogberry because he’s obvious comic relief. However, mixing it up so he has become one of those rule-breaking cops from the ’80s was a serious flex that works perfectly for this character. They played Beverly Hills Cop music as he performed, adding the cherry on top of an excellent performance from Walt Gray (Dogberry).

OCR’s 2024 Best Actor in Musical, Wesley Chavez, plays Don Pedro, the respected leader of the soldiers. A man of honor, Chavez was able to express it with impeccable delivery and presence.

Bobby Gonzalez’s (Benedick) commitment to the bit is off the charts, as is one of the gags in this production. It gives the term garbage a whole new meaning, and it isn’t bad; it’s funny.

Emma Camille Ignacio (Hero) plays the more minor but also essential role of Hero, and she maintains a reserved but engaged performance throughout.

Fun, 80s-themed accordion music serenades the audience before and during the performance. If you can name all the songs by heart, you might be a true fan of the 80s!