Lafayette College’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing” is far from old-fashioned but still carries the true spirit of the show: supreme silliness.
This production poses the age-old adaption question: Do we salvage the spirit of a dated show at its time of conception or try and preserve it just as it was, even if it becomes “stuffy?”
This adaption answers without a doubt — its spirit. If you’re looking for the comedic, ridiculous “feeling” of “Much Ado,” you’ll find it here.
The makeup and costumes burst with glitter and fairy wings. It is creative and silly, just like much of Shakespeare. This performance is part of a tradition of Shakespeare by college theater, which performed an equally sparkly production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in 2023 in the same black box theater at Buck Hall.
Lafayette’s and Shakespeare’s “Much Ado” centers around various noblemen and two relationships, Beatrice and Benedick and Claudio and Hero, and a large amount of nonsensical drama all based on deception. After a bit of initial confusion, you should be able to follow the show even if you’re unfamiliar with it. I do think a familiarity with a show always adds to the experience.
The show took liberties with the war that prince Don Pedro, Claudio and Benedick return from at the beginning of the play. Director Courtney Ryan writes in the playbill that, in Lafayette’s performance, they are angel defenders returning from “counter-protesting anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.” This was inspired by those who attended the trial of the murderers of Matthew Sheperd, a gay University of Wyoming student killed in 1998.
The cast and crew of “Much Ado” encouraged the audience to donate to the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center. Posters in support of trans rights are featured in the set design.
Ash Baeck-Hublox ‘26 shone as Benedick, believably portraying his transition from self-righteous jerk to besotted lover. Since the change in his character can be so sudden, Benedick is a difficult task, but Baeck-Hublox plays him brilliantly.
Baeck-Hublox works perfectly with Benry Juno James ‘25, who plays Beatrice with appropriate sass. Their best scenes together happen after they begin to fall in love, particularly the scene in which they discuss Claudio.
Sonali Shah ‘26 and Delaney Piccoli ‘28 also delivered excellent performances as Hero and Claudio, respectively. Santiago Brousset ‘27 was fantastic as Don Pedro and his physical comedy was well done. I admire the whole cast’s devotion to this physical comedy, a vital part of the show.
Also hilarious were Joanna Howson ‘26 as Dogberry and Liu ‘25 as a friar, but a friar with a passion for drag, brilliantly costumed in a gold dress with elaborate makeup that also evoked the sun.
The character of Don John, played by Syd Friedman ‘26, was as simply evil as he should be and his henchmen were hysterical.
The set design was perfect for the show, with vines twirling up stairs and unreal, dreamy pink and blue lights. It communicates the paradise of a wealthy villa.
If you’re looking for a fun time and a fresh take on Shakespeare, you should go see “Much Ado.”
The play will have performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:oo p.m. Tickets are available at lafayette.universitytickets.com.
