"MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING," Salt Lake Community College South City campus, through April 22 (957-3322). Running time: 2 1/2 hours (one intermission).
Instead of Sicily, director Frank Gerrish has moved this production of "Much Ado About Nothing" to the deep South.
Shakespeare's handsome swains meet the Steel Magnolias.
Instead of marching triumphantly home from a European war, Gen. Pedro, Capt. Benedick and Capt. Claudio are victorious Yankees from the North — which is why Tim Maness gives Benedick a bright, clipped Bostonian Irish brogue.
But these soldiers (and their Southern counterparts) aren't quite as prepared for the skirmishes ahead in the battle of the sexes.
"Much Ado" is a typical Shakespearean romantic comedy — clever mix-ups, romantic entanglements, bold machinations and hilarious situations straight out of "I Love Lucy" and the Marx Brothers.
And it works beautifully.
Gerrish's cast is a merry blend of students and seasoned actors from the theater community at large.
Maness (who was one of Gerrish's young Junior Shakespeare students not too many years ago) delivers an energetic and lively performance as Benedick, gleefully busting through the theatrical "fourth wall" to interact with the audience — already close at hand in SLCC's intimate Black Box Theater.
Benedick also comes face-to-face with feisty Beatrice — played to the hilt by Rebecca Johnson.
While their romance is as rocky as a Utah gravel pit, handsome young Claudio (Jonathan Rudy in his first "real" play since high school) is madly and deeply in love with the beguiling Hero (nicely played by Abby Sawyer), daughter of a Southern gentleman, Gov. Leonato (another fine performance by Hank Pond).
Others in the talented ensemble are Geoff Hansen, as the intuitive Gen. Don Pedro; Francis Fecteau, as his nasty, bastard brother; the villainous Gen. John; Bruce Bowns as Leonato's hearing-impaired brother, Antonio; and Charlotte Kaihau, as plantation slave Margaret.
Broad, boisterous humor is thrown into the plot by a quartet of local-yokel buffoons — the outrageous Dogberry, Verges, Hugh Oatcake and George Seacol, played respectively by Gordon Gerszewski, Patrick Gibbs, Becky Carnahan and Jason Cox.
Roberta Maness' period costumes are a big plus, along with choreographer Tess Boone and dance captain Kayla Thomas' rustic Civil War era dances.
Sensitivity rating: Implied violence and a smattering of mild Shakespearean lewdness, but nothing especially offensive.
E-mail: ivan@desnews.com