Event Article

Fullerton College presents a 30's style modernized version of the Shakespeare play, "Much Ado About Nothing,"for three last performances tonight, and Saturday at 8 p.m. and a matinee showing Sunday at 2 p.m.-in the Bronwyn Dodson Theatre.

Before the play officially starts; . an actor playing a high-strung director and his acting stage crew comes out and confuses the audience by appearing to be preparing for the filming of "Much Ado About Nothing."

Producer Robert Jensen uses Shakespeare's techniques by arranging the audience up-front and close to the stage encouraging them to take an active role in the play. At the beginning of the play one actor stated the audience was welcome to stay and watch the play as it was being filmed because they were "friends of the professor."

Situated around the stage, the audience seems' to be a part of the play, taking active roles in the scenes as the stage crew prepares for the upcoming changes in the stage sets and scenery.

Actors and actresses dressed in what seemed to be authentic costumes from the 30's. Men wore top hats, suspenders and dress pants and women dressed in T -length, polka dotted dresses with flattering hats along with many other well-remembered styles of the 30's.

Props played a major role in making the atmosphere surrounding ·this play so believable, and at times comical. One scene the audience found hilarious took place in the mens restroom, with dialogue centered around props such as, bathroom sinks and stalls.

There is also a scene which features three actors, Brian Silvas as Don John, Trace Larson as Borachio, and Jennifer Vukoje as Consuela, who sway in a thick fog while on a boat, making it realistic yet comical at the same time.

The technical aspects in the play accentuated and helped to mold the scenes together. Lighting and music were both key factors in creating the correct atmosphere for the props and costumes used in each of the different scenes. Music by composers of the 30's, George Gershwin and Cole Porter, were appropriately chosen to accent the moods of each individual actor. Lighting played a key role in the smooth transitions between scenes, separating night from day and further defining the moods of the actors.

Over all the acting in "Much Ado About Nothing" was excellent and kept the audience intrigued. Two of the leading actors, Adam Clark as Benedick and Amanda DeMaio as Beatrice, were very convincing and . entertaining as well. Both Clark and DeMaio performed eloquently, not allowing the difficult Shakespeare dialogue to hinder them.

Some other leading actors, equally as talented as Oark and DeMaio, were Dustin Dubreuil, John Orr. Pablo Giusto, Michelle Cicchini, Jennifer Chambers, Kim Guodace, Edward Garcia,and Ramona Falkowitz.