'Much Ado About Nothing' full of drama

Shakespeare is one of the best playwrights of all time, but how do we keep his work from being lost in translation nearly four-and-a-half centuries later?  Abington Friends Upper School's April 24th performance of Much Ado About Nothing rose to the occasion, deftly transposing the classic comedy into an accessible modern context.

There is a merry war of words betwixt Beatrice and Benedick, which comes to a head when he arrives in the company of noble Prince Don Pedro and friend Claudio at the estate of Beatrice's uncle, Leonato.  As they navigate the drama surrounding Claudio's engagement to Beatrice's cousin, Hero, the two find themselves caught in a plot hatched by loved ones to take their skirmish of wit to a romantic level.

The production opened with a nod at the Shakespearean tradition of "curtain-warming," performing songs relevant to the theme of the play before each act.  A team of students, "Baltha and the Czars," performed an eclectic selection of music ranging from 1920s jazz standards to modern alternative soul to original arrangements of lyrics from the text.

Sophie Cameron and Jonah Aamodt led the cast as Beatrice and Benedick, closely supported by Nicole Morris and Matthew Norden as Hero and Claudio.  Cameron's unfaltering sarcastic air in every aspect of Beatrice's character and Aamodt's likewise facetious emoting of Benedick complemented splendidly.  Each was particularly hilarious in the respective scenes revealing the other's love for them, with Cameron delivering a genuine slapstick performance of tripping over herself and Aamodt committing fully to the humor of accidentally smearing whipped cream all over himself.  Meanwhile, Morris and Norden helped to anchor more serious aspects of the plot and presented excellent dramatic performances in several scenes.

The show features a large ensemble cast, the most notable of which included Dorian Korein as Leonato, Shoshi Greenberg as Margaret, Eli Russell as Dogberry, and Lindsay Smelcer as Conrade. All demonstrated remarkably commanding stage presence and Russell could have had his own play with the over-the-top comedy and energy he displayed.

To solidify the ambiguously modern setting, Maya Salvacion, Kate Wellhofer, and Sophie Cameron organized an expert range of props while Olivia Avery and Rebecca Macey styled the cast's hair and makeup, hallmarking the 1920s. Corey Naitove also commendably designed a cohesive lighting setup for the play.

Abington Friends School's Much Ado About Nothing was a giddy thing in the best ways possible.