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| Repertory theater takes Shakespeare into the 1920s |
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| Written by Jonathan Partridge / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Wednesday, 09 July 2008 | |
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At a glance
U.S. Army uniforms and flapper attire will replace Elizabethan dress in Patterson Repertory Youth Theatre’s upcoming performance of “Much Ado About Nothing.” The theater company is going with a 1920s jazz-age presentation of the classic Shakespearean comedy, filled with swing dancing and music of the era. “It’s just Shakespeare through a different view,” said Brooke Borba, who plays Beatrice, one of the main characters. Like many of the bard’s works, “Much Ado” contains complex plot twists and clever humor. The story follows the romance between Benedick and Beatrice, the love story between Claudio and Hero, and the meddling of a scheming Don John. As in most of Shakespeare’s comedies, love wins out in the end, but not without plenty of laughs, double-crosses and mixups along the way.  Thomas Mate (left) and J.D. Jordan, run through rehearsal of a swing-era version of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator Scoles noted this is not the first time the play has been set in a different time frame than Shakespeare’s day. She saw an Antebellum South version of the play done when she was in high school and has also heard of another group doing a ’20s version. She said some of the military attire used in the play was donated by local resident Mike Mattos, while True Value Hardware gave much of the equipment for the ’20s-era set. Though Scoles said Shakespeare represented a challenge for the youth theater group, she said the young actors have handled it well so far. “A lot of them have wanted to do it, and they’re excited to do it,” Scoles said. Arthur Hoxie, who plays the part of Benedick, said the rhyming verses often used by Shakespeare actually make it easier to remember lines. Both he and Brooke Borba, who plays the role of Beatrice, said they had studied Shakespeare’s works in an honors English course.  Connie, played by Ana Bracamontes (center) is restrained by a watchman, played by Sarah Littlefield, and questioned by Dogberry, played by Jonathon Johnson. Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator Students in the youth theater production said they liked the ’20s theme. J.D. Jordan, who plays the role of Leonato, said he thought the ’20s setting might even attract some people who normally would not come to see Shakespeare. Ham speculated that the World War II décor — World War I uniforms were hard to come by in the costume search — may draw an older generation of play-goers, while he also hoped to draw in a younger crowd. Scoles said she hopes for a large turnout for the upcoming performance. “We have a lot of talent on stage,” she said. Meanwhile, the play’s soap opera-like storyline should keep the audience entertained, actors said. “(The play) is really good,” said Edith Diaz, who plays the part of Margaret. “It’s funny, too.”
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