Quirky characters and overstated physical expressions in LBCC’s production of Shakespeare’s play “Much Ado About Nothing” had the audience laughing out loud throughout the two-hour play on Thursday.
“It was really wonderful to have an audience listening to the show tonight and reacting and responding and laughing. I think it gives the cast a lot of energy and it makes the whole evening a lot more fun. It’s not complete until the audience arrives so it’s great to have them here,” said director Aubrey Saverino.
A unique aspect of LBCC’s rendition of the play was its 1940s setting, which was most apparent through the female characters’ knee-length dresses, skirts and matching vintage pumps.
Saverino was able to choose the 1940s time period because Shakespeare’s script doesn’t specify a time period for the play, only that it occurs after a war, which allowed this rendition to take place after World War II.
The play began with the main male protagonists Benedick and Claudio arriving in their hometown after having fought in World War II.
The plot then split between the formation of two couples, one of them being Beatrice and Benedick.
Their love story is complicated and unexpected as they don’t like each other at first, and are both initially disillusioned towards love.
Hero and Claudio on the other hand, instantly catch each other’s attention and rush to get married.
However, everything takes a turn when the villains in the story, Don John and Borachio, orchestrate a plan to make it seem like Hero was unfaithful to Claudio before their wedding.
One of the most intense moments in the play was during the wedding when Claudio confronts Hero about her alleged infidelity.
He expressed feeling betrayed by screaming at her, calling her impure, and even throwing her to the ground.
Hero, played by Luna Navarro, is confused and in complete distress, as her father and Claudio both don’t believe in her innocence.
Alongside the comedy and dramatic elements, a choreographed dance scene towards the beginning of the play added energy to the performance as the cast suddenly broke out into a dance.
In one moment, the cast gathered around in a circle and performed synchronized choreography.
Partnered flips and lifts, as well as upbeat jazzy music also enhanced the cheerful, spontaneous mood.
Throughout the performance, Benedick, played by Christopher Johnson, was a standout performance, adding humor to the play with his passionate, rambling monologues and silly poses.
“I thought it was a really thoughtful and hilarious presentation of a great play. The acting was good, the whole concept of putting it in the 40s was cool,” said Mark Levinstein, an audience member on opening night.
Actor Nicholas Rout-Vazquez, who played Claudio in the play, expressed how he felt about performing the play for the first time.
“It felt really like a big weight off my chest I feel like, because it’s a comedy and so you kind of are relying on the audience to laugh at certain points. This audience was great, they laughed at a bunch of stuff, and so I think it was relieving when I heard a laugh,” said Rout-Vazquez.
The last chance to watch LBCC’s rendition of “Much Ado About Nothing” is on July 27 at 2 p.m.
The performance will take place at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium, located in the J Building on the LAC Campus.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.lbcc.edu/performingarts under the section “Purchase Tickets,” or at the box office before each performance.
General Admission is $15, while student, senior, and staff tickets are $10.
Students with current ASB stickers are free, but these tickets are only available in person at the box office.
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