"Ask Philippa": MUCH ADO edition

Philippa Kelly, Resident Dramaturg for Cal Shakes,shares her thoughts on our 2010 productions.

In Jonathan Moscone's enchanting and stunningly beautiful production of Much Ado About Nothing, we see and feel a musical elasticity of mood (Shakespeare's own version of "notes", or "noting".) There is the merry banter of the opening; the hopefulness of the wooing scene; the hilarity of mistaken identity played out in the dance; and the calamitous consequences of a misanthropic plot against the marriage of two young lovers. After intermission you'll see mayhem released as the play veers dangerously toward tragedy. Yet somehow, as if by magic, the disastrous events are harmonized in the beautiful simplicty of a plea for redemption and the general joy of a double wedding.

Have you seen our production of Much Ado About Nothing yet? Do you have questions or comments about the production's themes, creative choices, or anything else? Please leave them in the comments, and I'll be sure to respond.

Photo by Jay Yamada.

Creating MUCH ADO'S onstage flora

For the ultimate show of Cal Shakes' 2010 season, the audience will see even more greenery than usual at the Bruns Amphitheater: To help create the lush atmosphere of Much Ado About Nothing's Messina, director Jonathan Moscone asked Will's Weeders, our all-volunteer-staffed and -funded gardening group, to landscape the stage, as well.

Below, check out some photos of the work in progress, all by Paul S. Doyle.

Flowering plants arrive at the Bruns on the morning of September 14:

Muriel Wilson (at left) and Kathy Graeven prune a Mexican lobelia:

From left: Muriel Wilson, Diana Caldwell, Patti James, Dayna Taylor, and Midge Zischke discuss plants to be used onstage during Much Ado, including Mexican lobelia, yellow lantana, geraniums, roses, and marguerites: