Deceit and deception, rather than “much ado about nothing” are, as scholar Bertrand Evans wrote, at the core of Shakespeare’s comedy. Their effects, though, are overwhelmed by Asolo Conservatory students getting down to extensive comic business in an outdoor, in-the-round production. Director Jonathan Epstein has seen to it that as much as possible feels contemporary yet textually true. Not bad. Still, you’re best off getting into an Elizabethan frame of reference, for there’s a lot of darkness in Much Ado About Nothing, especially if you don’t catch things that were believed then about women: They were somewhat sexually suspect for infidelity and the like, and they should be happy subservient to the men “over them.” Luckily, in the case of the mostly warring-with-words Beatrice (attractively strong DeAnna Wright) and Benedict (in the spectacular—and comically soaked—performance of Dylan Crow), they’re happily matched for life as well as wit. All’s due to good deceiving by their friends, which conquers their attempts to hide their real mutual attraction. Katie Sah’s Hero is a graceful heroine who doesn’t deserve being humiliated by her would-be (though eventual) husband. If Scott Shomaker’s Claudio seems too contradictory, well, he’s playing well the phlegmatic role Shakespeare created. He should never have agreed to Olivia Osol’s contrary Princess’s deceitful part in wooing Hero. How mean is villain Don John, melodramatically mustached Matt Kresch (whose looks I heard one program sponsor say he liked as much as the lead’s)! He has great help in accomplishing the near tragic central deception from John Wilson Bennett’s scurvy Borachio. Although both get Margaret (Sarah Linares) to join the villainous plot, she shows she’s just being her usual sensual self, not consciously deceitful. You’ll wish the wonderfully deep-voiced Lawrence James as Hero’s deceived dad Leonato hadn’t rushed to adverse judgment of her. You’ll be happy that Friar Antonio (Andrew Hardaway, dignified) is more interested in exposing deception and helping the much wronged lady of his parish. As leader of the low comedy figures, Erik Meixelsperger is great self-deceived lawman Dogberry. Here he’s a hoot of a guitar-playing Southern Sheriff, right off the range, bringing a country music rendition of Shakespeare’s “Sign No More” to the play’s introduction. (He repeats it later as if the lyrics confirm to women what kind of treatment they should know to expect.) But Shakespeare deceives us in a good way as Dogberry and his Watch (actors doubling) stumble on the info that will expose intrigue and guilt and lead to comedy’s happy ending. Chris McVicker nicely lights the serviceable set that relies on a garden floor, trellised entry and exit, but mainly props. The central one is a (running) water fountain but also some well used benches are brought on and off. Sofia Gonzalez’s military costumes seem out of an operetta, but others are generically modern for Leonardo, the Friar, the soldiers when out-of-uniform; colorfully contemporary formal for the women; country western for Dogberry complete with seven gallon hat; Chaplinesque with derbies for The Watch. Original music and sound enhance the production. Praise is due to the sound system workers and to the actors who can almost always be heard in the gardens so close to outside traffic on the busy Tamiami Trail and sometimes from the nearby Bay and overhead.
