Shakespeare ’70 presents the Bard’s clever comedy at the Open Air Theatre in Washington Crossing State Park.
By: Stuart Duncan
The summer season at the Open Air Theatre in Washington Crossing State Park has begun with the customary production of a Shakespeare play by Shakespeare ’70. As the name of the group might suggest, it has been this way for the past 35 years. The current offering of the Bard’s romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing is a delightful mixture of veteran actors going back almost to the first outing and some talented newcomers, all under the direction of John Erath, who has been opening summer seasons in the park for more than three decades.
Much Ado has become a huge local favorite and this production ranks high. It has years of experience at the top of the cast list: George Hartpence (as Don Pedro) has played title roles in Richard III, Macbeth and Hamlet, and here gets the opportunity to demonstrate he is no stranger to comedy. Carol Kehoe and Stephen Kazakoff, both graduates of Mason Gross at Rutgers (20 years ago) and now married with a young son, Donovan, play two of Shakespeare’s most cleverly developed characters Beatrice, a man-hating woman, and Benedick, a man determined not to marry. They are superbly matched, both can spit out Elizabethan dialogue with passion and verve, both have superb timing and can parry and thrust verbally with apparent ease.
But there is great strength right down the cast list. Tom Curbishley doesn’t get the opportunity to play many villains, and has great fun as Don John, Don Pedro’s bastard brother. Tom O’Connor is a straight-arrow Claudio and newcomer Rupert Hinton, from the U.K., is most impressive as Borachio.
Director Erath knows well the pitfalls of the large spaces at the park and has his company in constant movement, pacing the evening beautifully. Dale Simon has been designing sets at many venues for the past years and here has given us a simple yet elegant mixture of outdoor and inner court that adjusts easily.
Much Ado About Nothing continues at the Open Air Theatre, Washington Crossing State Park, Titusville, June 16-18. Performances: 8 p.m. Tickets cost $8-$10, $7.50-$9.50 seniors, $4-$5 children. For information, call (609) 737-1826 (after 6 p.m. on performance evenings).