Document text
1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Medford schools superintendent gets high marks Since You Asked: School zone speed limit always 20 mph Emergency Services, March 3 St. Mary's robotics team qualifies for state competition Ninth Street crash in Grants Pass claims life of 19-year-old woman Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, March 3 California homicide leads to arrest in Talent Fire torches trailer of hay off Crater Lake Avenue Volunteers help police nab three graffiti suspects in a week Emergency services, March 2 Politics and Elections Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Education Medford schools superintendent gets high marks St. Mary's robotics team qualifies for state competition LIFEArt plans to open gallery in Medford MSD considers adding a health center at one of the city's high schools Absenteeism in Oregon schools prompts bill that would tie funding to attendance, not enrollment Environment The new normal under climate change? Lost Creek Lake algae bloom subsides Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday State News Appeals court upholds protection for threatened seabird after timber industry challenge Oregon House votes to ban sale of e-cigarettes to minors Oregon considers banning non-medical vaccine exemptions Bill to dissolve Cover Oregon heads to Governor Brown Oregon official says he was questioned by FBI, IRS Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Clara "Jackie" Bean Mae Kathleen Quaccia Joseph (Joe) Torres Margaret M. Moffitt Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Virginia garners ACC crowns with victory over Syracuse Kersey remembered at service Tempers flare in Heat win over Suns RESULTS / STANDINGS LOCAL EVENTS Varsity 541 College Sports Virginia garners ACC crowns with victory over Syracuse Raiders play for tourney title tonight Learning Curve Ducks beat Cardinal, clinch Pac-12 tourney bye Oregon upsets No. 19 Stanford Pro Sports Kersey remembered at service Tempers flare in Heat win over Suns To tag or not to tag an NFL quandary Kings Conquered Poulter, Casey share lead at Honda Community Sports Business Latest Stories Local businesses still feeling effects of port slowdown Blog: Costco teams up with Citi for its next credit card Silvio Calabi: Volvo XC60 is sexy safety in an SUV Business Briefs: Feb. 28 People in Business: Feb. 28 Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business People in Business Transportation Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, March 3 Michael Gerson: Scott Walker's cynical comments on faith Kent Bush: Minnie Minoso was famous for the right reasons Matthew T. Mangino: Bite-mark analysis — science or charlatanry Letters to the Editor, March 2 Editorials Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government Other Views: Brown's list of challenges is lengthy Our View: School attendance bill could backfire Our View: Higher education still getting too little Our View: Adjusting for unintended consequences Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 3 Letters to the Editor, March 2 Letters to the Editor, March 1 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 28 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 27 Columns Michael Gerson: Scott Walker's cynical comments on faith Kent Bush: Minnie Minoso was famous for the right reasons Dana Milbank: Jeb Bush, CPAC pinata Charles Krauthammer: The fatal flaw in the Iran deal GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Guest Opinions GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Guest Opinion: Don't overregulate Oregon's hemp industry Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Lifestyle Latest stories Dr. Elaine Heffner: How much freedom should we allow kids? Food for Thought: Get creative with after-school snacks 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage Paul Rogers: Looking for signs of new life Blog: Happiest birthday to the dearest of Seusses Food Food for Thought: Get creative with after-school snacks Gail Ciampa: Curried cauliflower soup gets creaminess from coconut Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Community blog: Support local CSA farms by signing up Saturday Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Cheeseburger pie is the perfect winter comfort food Home and Garden Paul Rogers: Looking for signs of new life Home Help: Enhance your home-office experience Specialty painting adds wow to your walls Dear Monty: Home seller questions agent ethics Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Health HealthStyle: Marriage care and maintenance Community blog: How I Became Radical: The Power of Acceptance Community blog: The Guest List: Check! Health Watch: Sticking to your health plan when your family isn’t helping Community blog: Finding Your Indomitable Spirit to Defeat Addiction Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories TMTO presents 'Bye Bye Birdie' Ashland High School presents 'Leading Ladies' Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Theater 'Guys and Dolls' a sure bet for dazzling entertainment 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage TMTO presents 'Bye Bye Birdie' Review: OSF elevates the neglected 'Pericles' Review: In "Much Ado," why not let Shakespeare be Shakespeare? Music Ashland High School presents 'Leading Ladies' Rogue Valley Symphony showcases Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Get Up & Go: Tuesday, March 3 ... Ninth Street crash in Grants Pass claims life of 19-year-old woman ... Ashland cell tower hearing postponed ... Get Up & Go: Tuesday, March 3 ... Ninth Street crash in Grants Pass claims life of 19-year-old woman ... Ashland cell tower hearing postponed ... REVIEW Review: In "Much Ado," why not let Shakespeare be Shakespeare? Comment By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 1, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 1, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The triumphant warriors of "Much Ado About Nothing," flush with victory and high spirits, are approaching the estate of Leonato, the governor of Messina, as the play opens. The apparent ease of their success in battle is cause for great joy. "How many gentlemen have you lost in this action?" Leonato (a pitch-perfect Jack Willis) asks the messenger sent by Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon and the company's commander. "But few of any sort, and none of name," says the messenger. These young men got to strut their derring-do and get off easy. And that is essentially what this sunny comedy has to say about war. Life, and battle, may not be a bed of roses, but in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's new production of "Much Ado About Nothing," scenic designer Scott Bradley's abstract world is a stage full of roses, thousands of them hanging over the actors in great strings on an otherwise barren set. These suggest the largely feminine, celebratory, almost pastoral world presided over by Leonato. Giddy with victory, Don Pedro's (Cristofer Jean) jaunty company will party and lollygag — for at least a month, Don Pedro says — and it's in this ebullient atmosphere that the two romances that comprise the play's double plot will blossom. Benedick (Danforth Comins) and Beatrice (Christiana Clark) strive mightily to convince each other — and themselves — that the force passing between them is contempt, but it's clear to the audience that it is in fact love. The merry war they wage with their arsenal of barbed wit is the model for a later century's screwball comedies with the enemies/lovers played by the likes of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Barbara Stanwyck. Count Claudio (Reynaldo Piniella) and Leonato's daughter, Hero (Leah Anderson), in contrast, are callow, two-dimensional young people who could almost swap plays with other generic young lovers in Shakespeare. Although the complex personalities of Beatrice and Benedick rivet us, Claudio and Hero provide the raw material for the theme of male jealousy in a plot driven by the machinations of the "plain-dealing villain" Don John, Don Pedro's evil brother. Except that now he's not. This time out, Don John (Regan Linton) is Don Pedro's wounded sister. OK. It's fashionable to fool around with gender in Shakespeare, who himself liked to fool around with it, and sometimes this can be fresh and provocative (as in last summer's breezy OSF production of "Two Gentlement of Verona," in which the gents were ladies). Then there are the other times. As the audience enters, Don John is a slumped, shadowy figure upstage in a wheelchair, her head covered with a garment, or maybe bandages. There is smoke, a distant rumble, perhaps the sound of battle. It's a somber effect, suited to a tragedy, but there is no such note in Shakespeare's play. Lileana Blain-Cruz, who directed, seems to be trying to suggest that play combines elements of tragedy and comedy, and that the Claudio-Hero courtship exists on the poetic scale of tragedies such as "Othello" or romances such as "The Winter's Tale." The main trouble with that theory is that these characters don't get killed. They get married. And we laugh a lot. And the bonds of love may be temporarily sundered by a villain, but love triumphs in the end. That the audience never doubts this outcome is one of the reasons why "Much Ado" is always popular. Comedy in Shakespeare is about restoring order to a disrupted social fabric, and that's what happens here when the linguistically challenged Dogberry (Rex Young) and his rustic mates hilariously uncover Don John's dastardly scheme. Blain-Cruz seems to be trying to answer the question: Why is Don John such an villain? And her answer seems to be because she was wounded in war and carries deep bitterness, maybe even something like PTSD. But looking for motivation in Shakespearean villains is a fool's errand. Great villains such as Richard III and Iago and lesser ones such as Edmund and Aaron the Moor and Don John don't have motivation in a modern, psychological sense. But Shakespeare wrote them carefully. And they are simply wicked. Don John is a stereotypical Elizabethan villain with no need for some grafted on "motivation." He (or she) would just "rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose," and that's that. It's as if Blaine-Cruz has thrust Don John into a role of resisting the patriarchy. Puh-lease. That's like making Macbeth a Secret Service guy guarding King Duncan. Don John is a vecchi, an old man who is an obstacle to the lovers' union. He is the old patriarchal world that must be replaced by the new, inclusive world of the lovers that is a comedy's end point. Linto plays the character forcefully enough, but nobody is going to buy Don John as a proto-feminist. Amid all this, Clark is sensational as Beatrice, bringing high energy, grace and spot-on comic timing to every scene she's in. And Comins is a forceful, boyish, likeable Benedick, even if he's a bit of a dufus. Young is a funny enough Dogberry, whose tongue should be locked up for assault on the English language. But for some reason he spends most of his time on stage riding a Segway, one of those goofy, little two-wheeled "personal vehicles." This is amusing visually but has the unfortunate effect of distracting us from the avalanche of malapropisms, which is the whole point. Lighting Designer Yi Zhao bathes the comic scenes that make up most of the play in gorgeous tones, then renders the apparent success of Don John's villainy in dull, jolting contrast. One scene features strobe lights, which are normally used on the stage to highlight a key moment, for no apparent reason. Composer and sound designer Chad Raines has created a rather abstract, often jangly score that at times competes or clashes with the action. The happy ending music is for some reason full of harsh ambiguity. Theater is a deal between playwright and director and audience to believe in an imaginary world with its own rules. There's nothing wrong with finding new resonances in a classic, but tacking on one's own agenda in an attempt at politically correct, post-modern "relevance" inevitably feels forced. Sure, the world then as now was filled with war and inequalities based on sex, race and class. It's still best to let Shakespeare be relevant on his own, like it or not. Reach freelance writer Bill Varble at [email protected] . By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 1, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501