Much Ado About Nothing
Photo credit: Lauren Mow
Much Ado About Nothing, Ghostlight Theatre, 2021
An outdoor, immersive production of Much Ado About Nothing staged at Eden Springs Park and Campground. Directed and adapted by Kristina McCloskey.
Praise for Much Ado About Nothing
“The show was presented in the early evening, late summer hours with available light with an all-female cast, and used imaginative staging with sparkling performances…More important, this ‘Much Ado’ consistently found creative ways to engage its audience. Early in the show people in the audience were invited to join in the disguises of the Governor’s Masque by donning masks themselves. The production’s most unusual feature was director Kristina McCloskey’s use of space in the park. Her self-described ‘promenade staging’ immersed audience members in live dramatic action on the grounds…We were gently coaxed by the characters to wander briefly from our seats at the main stage area and walk briskly to discover other scenes about to begin on a nearby hillside, by a fountain, or in a grove across the way…
…McCloskey created visual variety and perspective by alternating scenes between the main playing area and nearby spaces and venues. At times, her staging seemed cinematic in its use of the long shot, when a character’s actions are observed from afar, or the close-up, as the focus shifted to a character speaking directly to us from a few feet away.”
The show had several preview performances as well as opened, and directly afterwards the remaining performances were canceled due to a COVID-positive test from a production member.
An audience member’s experience at opening night - courtesy of Richard Rabbers
All photos below courtesy of Lauren Mow and Les Rorick.
