When many people think of Shakespeare, their minds usually drift to an old and serious piece,
but that was not the case at the HHS Drama Club’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing” last Friday and Saturday night. “Much Ado”, originally set in 16th-century Italy, took on a new look at the HMS auditorium, set in the year 1968 during the peak of the Vietnam War. The set, costumes, lights, and music contributed to the fun and groovy atmosphere of the show, so much so that you might even forget that it’s Shakespeare!
“Much Ado About Nothing,” one of Shakespeare’s less-serious comedies, follows the events of exactly what the title describes, “nothing,” but in an overdramatic manner. In brief summary, HHS’s rendition of the play is centered around Leonata, played by Ruby Blake (‘25), and her daughter Hero, played by Allie Banks (‘26), in their disco, Leo’s Lounge. Like the title hints, a lot is done about minuscule events such as a miscommunication of true feelings between Benedick, played by Tim Bevens (‘24), and Beatrice, played by Bridget Sandler (‘24). There are also false accusations of cheating from Claudio, played by Tommy Parker (‘25) to his fiancé, Hero, which lead to a fake death and unnecessary chaos. Amidst this, there are arrests, conflict, and witty jokes passed between the soldiers Don Pedro, played by Harry Fitzgerald (‘25), Don John, played by Boris Goldin (‘25), Borachio, played by Alexa Harris (‘26), and Conrade played by Breanna Weiss (‘27).
Although all of the conflict that occurred in the play was avoidable and superficial, the dynamic acting from the entire cast had the audience engaged and constantly on the edge of their seats. HHS freshman and audience member for Friday’s show, Izzi Puleo thought that “The show was super fun and extremely well done! Congratulations to everyone involved!”
But, the cast was not the only group of people that helped make this show the sensation that it was. The set designers, costume crew, hair and makeup artists, prop managers, backstage crew, and many more put in countless hours of work to truly bring this show to life.
When asked about what her favorite part of being on the costume crew was, HHS sophomore Isabella Monti told the Harborlight, “I really enjoyed working on the crew for Much Ado! The disco theme was a super fun twist on the traditional Shakespeare, and integrating so many colors and patterns into the costumes was such an exciting challenge! Despite the short time frame, the final product was really amazing thanks to the hardworking cast, crew, and adults who participated!”
Finally, the show could not have been possible without its amazing director, HHS drama teacher Mrs. Fish. Her final remarks for “Much Ado About Nothing” were, “I love this show! I love the banter, the misunderstandings between characters, and the invitation to just make a big deal about absolutely nothing at all. I think it’s really interesting how we do that as humans all the time and how fun it is to throw that under the lens of disco and enjoy some of my favorite music and clothing eras of all time. My goal was to just have a party with it, and I think, mission accomplished!”
