The Richmond Shakespeare Festival opened this weekend with relatively perfect weather, a talent-packed cast, and a jolly good time on the courtyard stage at Agecroft Hall. Always a delight, and sometimes a bit of a guessing game due to weather, the good news is this year the bugs did not receive the invitation! At least on the night we saw the first show in the festival, Much Ado About Nothing.
Much Ado About Nothing Runs Through June 23
Much Ado About Nothing revolves around young love and two potential relationships that emerge after a soldier and his entourage come to town and elder types commence their meddling. The first relationship, between innocent and quaint Claudio (played by Hunter Keck) and Hero (Lindy Pokorny), is nearly sabotaged by shenanigans orchestrated by the low-key villain, Don John (Gordon Graham).
The second, between clever and more worldly Benedick (Trevor Lawson) and Beatrice (Latonia Phipps), is the focus of the play as their characters’ wit and banter provide much of the humor. Lawson, who I last saw in Virginia Rep’s Barefoot in the Park, and Phipps – a newcomer to Richmond who we should all hope sticks around! – shone in these roles with the kind of timing and physical humor that helps Shakespeare’s prose find purchase, even on the rookiest of ears.
As the plot unfolds through light deception and trickery, director Shanea N. Taylor molds Shakespeare’s comedy into a rom-com with a sit-com feel. The contemporary costuming by Lindsey Ladnier and anachronistic touches, like the odd camera or phone onstage, lighten up some of the stuffiness that is usually present in a classical production. A hip-hop score and a musical interlude by the talented Taesean Blanding as Balthasar add to the light-hearted sit-com appeal.
This Year’s Production is in the Agecroft Courtyard Stage
The Richmond Shakespeare Festival, which is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, is back in Agecroft Hall’s Shakespearean courtyard. You can leave your chairs and blankets at home, but it is highly recommended that guests brings stadium seat cushions. Consider arriving early to stroll the grounds, enjoy a picnic, or sample food and beverage trucks on site. You also might want to apply bug spray – this is Richmond, after all!
Much Ado About Nothing runs Thursdays through Sundays and closes June 23. For tickets and a look at the cancellation/raincheck policy, visit RichmondShakepeare.org.
