Abstract: Reviewed by: Much Ado About Nothing Kathryn Vomero Santos Much Ado About NothingPresented by The Public Theater at the Delacorte, New York. 2105– 2306 2019. Filmed 22–306 by PBS Great Performances. Directed for the stage by Kenny Leon and for the screen by David Horn. Scenic design by Beowulf Boritt. Costumes by Emilio Sosa. Lighting by Peter Kaczorowski. Sound by Jessica Paz. Music composition by Jason Michael Webb. Wigs, hair, and makeup design by Mia Neal. Choreography by Camille A. Brown. Fight direction by Thomas Schall. Voice and text by Kate Wilson. With Danielle Brooks (Beatrice), Grantham Coleman (Benedick), Chuck Cooper (Leonato), Jeremie Harris (Claudio), Erik Laray Harvey (Antonio/Verges), Kai Heath (Messenger), Daniel Croix Henderson (Balthasar), Tyrone Mitchell Henderson (Friar Francis/Sexton), Tiffany Denise Hobbs (Ursula), Lateefah Holder (Dogberry), Billy Eugene Jones (Don Pedro), Margaret Odette (Hero), Hubert Point-Du Jour (Don John), Jaime Lincoln Smith (Borachio), Khiry Walker (Conrade/Ensemble), Olivia Washington (Margaret), and others. When Kenny Leon decided to set The Public Theater's summer 2019 Free Shakespeare in the Park production of Much Ado About Nothingin the near future of spring 2020, he probably did not imagine that this moment would be defined by a global pandemic that has already taken the lives of over 100,000 Americans, a disproportionate number of whom are Black. And yet, the explicitly political framing of his all-Black production of this wartime comedy seems to have anticipated that ongoing structural racism would be front and center once again in the United States. At the time of writing, as a devastating spring 2020 draws to a close and the threat of COVID-19 continues to loom large, Black Americans and their allies are rising up in protest and demanding justice in cities across the country in response to the recent police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the unarmed Black men and women who were murdered before them. In the face of cumulative and compounding racial injustices, it remains painfully urgent to assert—as Leon's production does—that Black Lives Matter. The present review is based on my viewing of the recording that was directed and produced by David Horn for Great Performances, a series designed to bring the performing arts to American television audiences. Originally broadcast on PBS stations on 22 November 2019, the filmed production was also made freely available online for viewers in the US through 6 June 2020. This occasion marked the first time in over forty years that PBS made a Shakespeare in the Park production so widely available in this way. [End Page 160] In addition to reimagining what access can look like, the filmed production offers a range of enhanced features to audiences watching from home or a classroom. With a full transcript and closed captions that include Shakespeare's text as well as the lyrics to the production's many songs, the production is remarkably accessible. It is also situated on the PBS Great Performances website among several short promotional videos and interviews that provide crucial context and insight into the creation and impact of this performance. The camerawork and editing of the production itself highlight many of the cast's strengths, including Grantham Coleman's (Benedick) lively facial expressions and Danielle Brooks's (Beatrice) fantastic audience work in the outdoor amphitheater space of the Delacorte. In an interview for the Folger Shakespeare Library's Shakespeare Unlimitedpodcast, Leon explained that he chose Much Adobecause he "felt like the comedies have more political impact these days" ("Kenny Leon"). In particular, the martial framing of Much Adooffered the opportunity to interrogate the dynamics of middle-class Black domestic life during a time of civil unrest. Set in Aragon, Georgia, a small city outside of Atlanta near Leon's own hometown, this production takes place in and around the space of a large red brick house. The house is graced with prominent campaign banners that read "STACEY ABRAMS 2020," a wishful nod to the potential presidential candidacy of the Black woman who had recently run for the state's gubernatorial office and who had drawn national attention to the history of racialized voter suppression...
Publication Year: 2021
Publication Date: 2021-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 1
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