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Friday, July 21.2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER 27 A rts & Entertainment An O akville B eaver Feature Editor; C A R O L BALDW IN. 845-3824 (Ext 254) Fax; 337-5567; E-mail; balcfwin@haltonsearch.com Photo by Peter C. McCusker Hero (played by M anon St-Jules), left, and Ursula (Sarah Me Vie) help cupid along as they plot to match the eavesdropping Beatrice (Gina Wilkinson) with Benedick. Battle of wits makes `Much Ado.. a hit B y C a ro l B aldw in ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR W riter/director N ora Ephron may think she perfected the romantic comedy with Sleep less in Seattle and When meets girl, boy and girl are in constant Harry M et Sally but, despite the brilliant conflict continues until sudden opposition, writing and the popularity of those two ly... Sound a bit like You've Got Mail? movies, it's doubtful that audiences will still Not quite. The writing is much, much be enjoying her work 400 years from now. better as is the plot and, of course, the act W illiam Shakespeare, on the other hand, ing in the Royal Bank Festival of Classics' continues to enjoy success in the 21st cen production at Coronation Park is second to tury with romantic comedies that he wrote none, particularly that of the Gina Wilkin in the 16th century. Much Ado About Noth son (Beatrice) and John Jarvis (Benedick). ing is one o f those plays, which has enjoyed If the chemistry between those two charac success both on stage and on the big screen. ters is lacking or either one is a weak actor, This comedy is one o f the Bard's many the play would fall flat on its face. plays that, considering it was written in N ot so with W ilkinson and Jarvis. 1597, features a strong female lead. Beat They're right on. rice is anything but dull or submissive, and On opening night these two had the she certainly gives Benedick a run for his capacity audience laughing heartily every money when it comes to witty retorts. These time they came on stage. The obvious rap two characters provide the comedy as well port and effortless bantering between them as much o f the romance in the story; and if made Shakespeare's dialogue seem contem it weren't for the language, you might think porary and so natural. These two seasoned it was written in the 21st century - boy actors played off each other with such Th e a tre Review good-humoured teasing, that the audience awaited the obvious outcome of their mutu al marriage-phobia with eager anticipation. This play, of course, could still have seri ous flaws if the supporting cast were not equally adept at their craft, especially in the two scenes where Benedick and Beatrice are each set up by their "friends" to rethink their tenacious resolve to remain single. In the Oakville production, not only was the supporting cast convincing as they con jured up tales of trickery to trap the unsus pecting Beatrice and Benedick, but director Michael Shamata wrote the century-old willow tree at Coronation into the script and added a few subtle, but hilarious gestures to the already comical script. For instance, Benedick, who is supposed to be hidden from view as he eavesdrops on a conversation by Leonato (Graham Harley), Don Pedro (Glyn Thomas) and Claudit) (Brandon McGibbon), grabs Clau dio's drink and downs it quickly, supposed ly without Claudio's knowledge. (You had to be there. Or should I say `You have to be there.') This scene and the one that snares Beat- "I do much wonder th a t one m an, seeing how m uch another m an is a fool when he dedicates h is behaviours to love, w ill, after he hath laughed a t such shadow follies in others, becom e th e argum ent o f h is own scorn by fading in lo v e ..." Benedick rice into the same trap are absolutely won derful and precise in every way, from the directing to the acting to the inclusion of the outdoor setting. In fact, the outdoor set is used to its fullest by Shamata, who has made this play o f Shakespeare's - already one o f m y favourites - unique and memorable. He has adeptly modified the script without chang ing it and made sure the actors' pauses, ges tures and facial expressions enhance rather (See `More' on page 28)