Much ado despite everything

>> Elysian River takes Shakespeare up the mountain

by AMY BARRATT

Despite the screaming and the arrival of Urgences-Santé in the background, the actors in Much Ado About Nothing maintained their concentration and got through their opening night on Mount Royal last week.

Elysian River Theatre had reached Act V of Shakespeare's comedy when a bad drug trip or psychotic episode made itself known, not 200 metres away. An ambulance arrived soon afterward and didn't pull away until the final, wedding scene.

It was an unfortunate occurrence, but just one of those things the company has grown accustomed to.

"It's not the worst thing that's happened in three years of performing Shakespeare on Mount Royal. We've had crazy people walk right into the scenes," says artistic director Lowell Gasoi.

Nor was the episode the only variable faced by the company on opening night. The great unknown of outdoor theatre is, of course, the weather. It served up nothing worse than a rather chill wind that carried off a few of the actors' lines. Other distractions included a barking dog and a renegade tam-tamiste.

Not to be confused with Repercussion Theatre's sound- and light-enhanced version of Shakespeare in the Park, Elysian River's productions are as low-tech as you can get. All the music you get is belted out by the cast members themselves and all lighting effects are courtesy of Sol. I remember last year that the sun filtering through the trees in the early scenes was stunning; this time, I caught the show on a cloudier evening, but a pink sunset provided a dramatic backdrop to a graveyard scene.

Any production of Much Ado is doomed to failure without a strong Benedick, a strong Beatrice and plenty of sparks flying between them. In Cory Fantie and Christine Sandilands, director Gasoi has found such a combination. I was charmed by both of them, although I could wish that Fantie would stop pulling at his costume and that Sandilands would find something, anything, else to wear.

The rag-bag costumes are suggestive of another time, but not of any one particular time period. If not for the fact that they help us differentiate actors from spectators, I would suggest discarding them in favour of modern dress.

The cast is large and not all of the same calibre. Dan Werb is fine as the evil Don John, but he really comes into his own in the comic role of Dogberry. Sasha Roiz cuts a dashing figure as Don Pedro. Cross-gender casting allows an even split of male and female actors in the company, but doesn't always work. When other actors repeatedly address Leonata (formerly Leonato, Governor of Messina) as "sir," the effect is jarring and Star Trekky.

Judicious cuts to the script allow the performance to wind up just as the sun sets. (However, as the days grow shorter over their three-week run, the actors may have to speed up their delivery).

If you like theatre with an edge of excitement, even danger, this open-air experience is for you. If you go: bring something to sit on, a jacket, sensible shoes and insect repellent. :

Much Ado About Nothing at the Cartier Monument on Mount Royal, 7pm nightly, except Sundays, until July 22. Freewill donations accepted.