Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

Weird weather patterns these days may have us wondering which time of year it might really be. Nevertheless, one seasonal barometer New Yorkers can depend on as an indication that summertime is upon them is the literary presence of a particular Elizabethan playwright, who haunts the stages of parks with outdoor performances of his comedies and tragedies.

At present there are five such presentations of William Shakespeare's plays which can be experienced in Manhattan. The one farthest from the hustle and bustle of midtown is The Moose Hall Theater Company's production of "Much Ado about Nothing." The evening performances are part of the Inwood Shakespeare Festival 2006, being staged on Inwood Park Peninsula --a place with pretty views of the Harlem River, its environs and acres of forest trees.

The romantic comedy has two prominent plot lines: one brimming with humor while the other manifesting the consequences of the actions of a dastardly villain. The former involves a battle of the sexes between Benedict, a young lord of Padua, and Beatrice, niece to the Governor of Messina. At the on start, they--to put it mildly--never have had a desire for love and/or marriage, and both possess "a skirmish of wit between them." Though machinations of friends and family, in addition to elements of human nature at play, their relationship arrives at an ironic outcome. The more somber aspect of the play deals with the plan of a wonderfully villainous Don John (Robert De Felice) to destroy the reputation of the youthfully virginal Hero and, thus, undermine her marriage to the sincere and charming Claudio on the eve of their wedding. Fortunately, the comically inept constable Dogberry and his "slapschitck" crew undo the intrigue while adding some humor to the goings-on.

Although the cast is energetic and hard working throughout, the overall direction by Ted Minos seemed a bit uneven. Much of the time the actors used broad, over-emphasized gestures rather than heeding to Hamlet's advice to "suit the action to the word," often sacrificing character subtlety and the beauty of the Bard's language. Aaron Simms and Marca Leigh as Benedick and Beatrice create several sparks of animosity and affection but, for me, did not ignite true flames of passion. On the other hand, Geoffrey Warren Barnes' Claudio and Sarah Ecton-Luttrell's Hero put real "hearts" in the emotionally-wrought characters Shakespeare created. Other notable performances were by Branan Whitehead (although a not yet fully-realized Dogberry), David Lamb (Friar Francis/Watch/Soldier 1), E. Calvin Ahn (Borachio) and the all-around adorable Polly Solomon (Watch 2/ Boy/Lady).

At the evening's end, the sun had set, a summer breeze was in the air, the villains were foiled,the lovers became destined to be wed, the actors took their deserved bows, and a hat was placed upon the "the stage" for contributions to support more free Shakespeare. I was glad I was in New York and it was summertime. I appreciatively placed a few bills in "the kitty" before looking toward Broadway, where I'd catch the subway downtown.