The yearly Shakespeare play astonishes again
Actors on a military vehicle (Photo courtesy of: Cindy Lui)
By Alana Moscoso-Mendoza, staff writer, Alexa Rios, staff writer
Every year at Maria Carrillo High School, the performing arts program puts on a rendition of a Shakespearen play. These events are shown outside of the theater and are performed out in the quad, unlike the musicals which are performed in the theater. Every year, they kill it with amazing sets and costumes, and this year was no different. Much Ado About Nothing was this year's pick and let me tell you it really delivered! While the story was a bit confusing at first, I realized how interesting it was once I understood the plot.
A brief history, Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written around 1589 and it was first performed in 1612. The play takes place in Italy during the invasion of Sicily. It starts off with soldiers, Claudio and Benedick returning from war and being introduced to Leonato’s daughter Hero and Lady Beatrice. Claudio falls in love with Hero and they get quickly engaged to one another. During a masked ball, Don John, along with two henchmen, come up with a plan to convince Claudio that Hero cheated on him with another man. Later during the party, a woman who looks exactly like Hero is seen dancing with another man, and Claudio is convinced it is in fact Hero and she is being unfaithful to him. He calls off the marriage and Hero supposedly dies from shock. During all of this, Benedick, who has sworn off the marriage, and Lady Beatrice realize they are in love with each other despite their constant arguing. However, Don John is discovered along with his two henchmen and they are promptly arrested, and out of pity, Claudio agrees to marry Leonato’s “niece” who turns out to be Hero all along. There were other scenes scattered throughout that may or may not have been related to the play.
Overall there was a great sense of coziness to the play’s set. There was what seemed to be a front of the house, some benches, and a battlefield. An aspect I really enjoyed was how the actors could interact with the set. Windows could open and shut! There were some cool set pieces such as the phonograph and a real jeep (which was the coolest thing ever) that drove in the soldiers coming back from the way. The Pacific Coast Air Museum, a museum in Sonoma County that houses a unique collection of aircraft, let them borrow the jeep for the nights the play was on!
Another thing was the use of music. Playing music from the 40’s really set the scene and was honestly so much to bop my head to during the play. While this was a play, at one point an actor started singing “Sigh No More,” a song written by William Shakespeare himself. The costume pieces were also fantastic as they gave the impression of a different decade. Fun fact: the 6th Street Playhouse loaned the drama program some costumes in support! Overall, these elements added a vintage feel to the story, which was hard to follow because at times it was hard to hear the actors, but eventually the story started to make more sense around the second act.
Others also enjoyed the play, specifically praising the wonderful performance the actors put on. When asked which performer stood out to him, sophomore Dante Mills said, “For me, the most memorable performance was from the actor that played Beatrice. I really liked the amount of expression and dramatics [the drama program] put into the role.” Her performance really was outstanding. The delivery of her lines were incredible, and she truly embodied the character and personality that Beatrice was meant to be. Mills also enjoyed the story itself, saying that “It was a really good expression of human relationships and how they hold up even through decades of interpretation.” I absolutely agree, and I really enjoyed the stories of the different relationships between characters in the play. It was very interesting to watch how relationships conflicted with others; for example, it was interesting how the conflict between Claudio and Hero caused Beatrice to argue with Benedick, creating conflict in their relationship as well.
The play seemed to be a success around the crowd and including some of my friends. Tying in the costumes and the set really marked it for me at least as a seal of approval given how early in the year this is. As always, I can’t wait to see what the performing arts building has in store for us for the rest of the year.