In the amphitheater at St. Columba’s, where a local production of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” opened on Saturday, one line gets a big laugh, just as it must have in London in 1599: “I think this is your daughter,” one man says to another, indicating a young woman he hasn’t met. “Her mother hath many times told me so,” the second man retorts.
Outdoor theater is an ancient summertime tradition, drawing everyone from children to silver hairs. Yet in Inverness in 2024, the laughter rings differently than it did 425 years ago. What was for centuries mere playful banter now touches uncomfortable hot-button issues, including the question of female sexual autonomy and the violence of male vanity wounded.
These days, #MeToo undertones are inescapable in a play centered on themes of attraction and ownership. The central plot in “Much Ado” is set in motion when Hero, a young woman played by Molly Livingston and newly engaged to the soldier Claudio, played by Richard Vallejos, becomes the target of a vile smear campaign questioning her virginity. Claudio, without hesitation, believes the slander and denounces her, and her father follows suit. Both are too quick to judge, too slow to seek the truth.
“This play is problematic,” said director Sharron Drake. “It takes only a man’s word to condemn Hero, a scenario that resonates uncomfortably in our current era.”
Meanwhile, the subplot of another courtship, driven by the razor-sharp wit of Beatrice, played by Chrissy Costello, and Benedick, played by John Eleby, often overshadows the main story. Their verbal sparring, a dance around the idea of intimacy, reveals a love so entangled with mistrust that friends must trick them into acknowledging the razor-thin line between love and hate.
Adding to the production’s charm, the roles of Claudio and Hero, as well as Beatrice and Benedick, are played by real-life couples. Four other couples also contribute to the cast, including Ms. Drake and her husband, Matt Gallagher.
Mr. Vallejos vividly conveys Claudio’s wide-eyed gullibility, and Ms. Livingston plays to Hero’s constrained innocence, donning a veil most of the show but ultimately bringing a vehement defense of her honor. Mr. Eleby delivers a compelling Benedick, transitioning from a maestro of gruff misogyny to starry-eyed affection, while Ms. Costello commands the stage with intellect and authority. “I was born to speak all mirth and no matter,” she declares at one point.
When it comes time to take a principled stand on her cousin Hero’s virtue, Beatrice, unlike everyone else, has no crisis of conscience: she derives her strength from her unwavering loyalty.
Under Ms. Drake’s direction, the production captures the screwball essence of Shakespeare’s comedy, bolstered by a strong ensemble cast. Camilla Ford shines as Hero’s maid, and Mr. Gallagher is a particularly blustery Dogberry. Greg Brockbank, Mark Alderdice, Jake Davis and Guillermo Maturana deliver noteworthy performances, while Vincent Pizzuto, the vicar of St. Columba’s, aptly portrays Friar Francis in his stage debut.
While many productions have reimagined the setting—transporting it to South Carolina in the 1960s, or to 1980s Gibraltar, or even into the Mexican Revolution—this one remains pinned on Shakespeare’s Sicilian backdrop, enhanced by the ambient sounds of a trickling fountain. Yet the production is unmistakably set in West Marin, where the natural surroundings become part of the performance.
“We’ve got trails and hillsides, and so actors can make their entrances through a thatch of filbert brush,” Ms. Drake said. “If a plane goes over, or the sea breeze comes in, or a smell drifts through the valley, it all feeds into the experience of the play.”
“Much Ado About Nothing” shows on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 and 2 at 4 p.m. at St. Columba’s amphitheater, in Inverness. Tickets are $25 and free for children. See the calendar for details.