Volume 2, Issue 15 July 6 - July 19, 2000

Shakespeare ... summer, Shakespeare ... summer. Yes, dear Reader, it is once again the season of the Bard, and Shakespeare has a lot more in common with summer than assonance, alliteration and meter. Romance, wine, and a verdant abundance of wit grace the stage of the Bug Theater for the current run of Much Ado About Nothing, presented by Hunger Artists Ensemble.

Director Eric Fry fields a 20 member cast for this production no small feat considering that he places them all on stage several times during the play. During the beginning of the play, it was rather distracting having extraneous players milling about backstage during the development of the dialogue, but by the end of the play it was evident that Fry was attempting to project a sense of Renaissance community to the audience, and in that he was successful.

Strict adherence to Shakespearean dialogue along with cohesive set design and surprisingly elaborate costuming (for a small theater production) brought the audience directly into the appropriate time and setting. Overall, the production design was quite effective in conveying a traditional interpretation of Much Ado....

In fact, the entire production was quite traditional in nature, and evidently this was Fry's intent. I have no problem with this except that anyone studied in the arts has seen more than one of these productions, and when emphasis is placed on traditional presentation instead of the life found within the lines and the characters, the work is reduced to a pedestrian stroll. Shakespeare's work is like a language to many, and as such it grows, it changes, and it evolves through the loving talents of those who produce it. Directors should never be afraid to taint the work with their own talent and inspiration, but rather should challenge themselves to engage modern audiences with the piece. The work will stand on its own; the trick is getting the audience to stand in admiration of the production, and that generally requires more risk than was evident in this production.

Nonetheless, this was truly a fine and worthwhile staging of one of Shakespeare's most light-hearted plays. The major players did a fine job with their lines, timing and characters. Nils Keihn did an outstanding job as Benedick, particularly during the scene in which he 'accidentally' overhears Beatrice's love confession. Kristin Teig was also convincing as Beatrice. One of the more pleasant surprises though was the life brought to the character of Borachio, por-trayed by Brian Rovegno. His was the most physical performance of the evening, and also one of the most enjoyable. Ken Witt as Friar Francis was also fun. His stumbling speech and gravitational facial expressions propelled the climax into the denouement very nicely.

Disappointingly, Laura Steele as Dogberry was so rushed and jittery in her dialogues that many of the malapropisims penned into her role were hopelessly lost. This was still a very serviceable and enjoyable production of Much Ado About Nothing, complete with the choreographed dances, operatic singing, and grand spectacle that come as a pleasant aesthetic shock to the system when staged in a small theater. The play closes next weekend. If you like Shakespeare you'll enjoy the play.

Also watch for Midsummer Night's Dream being staged at the Denver Civic Center as part of Theater in the Park this summer.

Now for the don't-miss-it of the month. The Blue Room runs through July at the Phoenix Theater. The play is an adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde, effortlessly modernized by the talented playwright David Hare. Divided into ten one act plays, The Blue Room weaves the audience through a well-threaded investigation into the different dementias underlying the one-night stand.

Flawlessly written, the script maintains a natural dialogue and language appropriate to the characters and the theme. The psychology of the one-nighter is carefully dissected and laid bare on stage. Those short-lived fantasies that drive the characters fall away as sublimely as loosely-grasped sheets when the act is over, and it's time to go home. The author gives the audience a sampling of the different echelons in which these fantasies find their home, and he shows us that the common thread linking them is the emptiness that lies beneath.

Of particular note was the scene between the actress and the playwright. Here, the author pits two self-serving delusional seekers of fame against each other as if they were in a predatory contest. The scene is notable because it makes the distinction between 'artiste' and artist, and pokes between-the-lines fun at the very stuff of which the play is made. Having known an 'artiste' or two myself, I have found them to be a tragic clan of self-indulgent frauds, who exhaust their talents and often their lives with the effort of painting and maintaining their masks. The mere inclusion of this scene marks David Hare as an artist without the 'e'. It is a noteworthy and endearing distinction when considering the success of this play.

Aesthetically speaking, it is difficult to determine where the set design leaves off and the direction begins in The Blue Room. Nicholas Sugar has staged a directorial orgy that leaves the audience in that same dreamy state of satisfaction as a long night of good sex. Remarkable.

Acting is, without a doubt, stellar. David Russell transitions easily between the five different characters he plays. His grace and physical presence project from the stage like a singular flame. Even more impressive, however, is the range, scope and focus brought to stage by the neon presence of Sheila Ivy Traisiter. She captures the essence of the five widely disparate characters she portrays with precision and discipline reminiscent of a master violinist or a concert pianist. She truly doesn't miss a note, and the script is as demanding as any musical score could be.

Obviously, I recommend this play on absolutely all counts. If you haven't been moved to attend a theater event lately, drag yourself out for this one. One note of cau-tion, however: the play does contain fully nude scenes and it doesn't skirt the adult subject matter, so leave the children and prudish sisters/aunts/boyfriends at home. Enjoy!