Student and faculty members performing alongside one another for the Naked Shakes fall production of “Much Ado About Nothing.” (Courtesy of Paolo Gardinali)

After a successful summer run, UC Santa Barbara’s Naked Shakes returned with William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” for a short weekend run from Oct. 11-13. This is Naked Shakes’ 19th year as a theater company here at UCSB, and their work undoubtedly gets better every year.While the sound of a Shakespeare play may transport some people back to the boredom of their high school English class, the Naked Shakes crew knows how to bring Shakespeare’s text to life, engaging the audience during every moment. Combining thoughtful aesthetic choices with funny quips and an energetic cast of characters, Naked Shakes transforms Shakespeare plays into a magical night for students and community members alike.

Set in the UCSB Theater/Dance Courtyard, against a backdrop of greenery, the production utilized the surrounding nature to transport the audience into the world of Messina, Italy. With references to gardens, marriages and a general party atmosphere, the lights and flowers sprinkled throughout the courtyard drew the audience into the characters’ world.

Similarly, with the audience chairs set up like those of a wedding, viewers were transported into the love story that was about to unfold. This configuration of chairs allowed actors to walk through the aisle and made the final wedding scenes feel that much more immersive. During certain scenes, actors also hid between the rows of chairs, interacting with the space cleverly.

While a traditional play may rely on lighting and set design to set the tone, much of this was taken care of by simply the natural surrounding atmosphere. The sunlight stood in for the typical programmed lighting, allowing for a very realistic and immersive setting. As the show ran in the late afternoon, the slowly setting sun complemented the natural progression of the story at hand. While other productions typically call for a different track of time, the natural sunlight created an illusion of time that condensed the events of the play just one day.

In terms of other design elements, the show had very cleverly selected costumes, designed by fourth-year theater major Jake Marshall and Associate Director Pesha Rudnick. Most of the cast was clothed in all white, the costumes accentuating the play’s lighthearted tone. Various main characters, such as enemies to lovers Beatrice and Benedick, played by fourth-year theater majors Sara Sadjadi and Rodolphe Le Feuvre, sported complimentary pops of color to indicate their relationships and importance to the show. Contrastingly, villain Don John was the only character dressed in any black, signifying his sinister part in the show.

The leads embrace in the UCSB Theatre/Dance Courtyard. (Courtesy of Paolo Gardinali)

Overall, the atmosphere created through these various elements was infectious and amusing. The audience was not only drawn into the world of this play through the visuals, but through the actors’ ability to appear so joyful and full of life. The fun the actors and, in turn, the characters were having was incredibly palpable from the moment they entered.

Before the show began, the audience was introduced to the incredible live band. The addition of their musical numbers throughout the show brought even more livelihood to the world of the play and provided for numerous compelling dance numbers — not to mention the hilarious comedic timing of the band that enhanced many of the jokes and embarrassing moments throughout the show.

After an introduction to the band, Sadjadi and Le Feuvre made their way to the stage to do some pre-show announcements while completely in character. As they informed the audience of the concept of Naked Shakes and other Department of Theater and Dance news and announcements, they simultaneously built the world and exposed the audience to the banter-heavy dynamics of their relationship. Through their bickering and teasing, it was clear they were going to bring a high level of comedy to the performance and quickly become audience favorites.

The show properly began with an electrifying dance number between two supporting yet vital characters, Margaret, played by fourth-year theater major Georgia D’Aloisio, and Borachio, played by third-year theater major Veda Arndt-Schreiber. These characters later became very important to the drama and misunderstandings of the play and this exciting exchange between the two was the perfect way to establish their relationship to the audience.

Next, the audience was introduced to the main cast of characters that would be dominating the stage for approximately the next two hours. First entered Leonato, governor of Messina and father to Hero, played by academic advisor and professor Sean O’Shea. He was followed by Hero, played by fourth-year theater major Netta Nakash, and Beatrice, as they read a letter that sets up the plot of the play. Hero’s love interest Claudio, played by fourth-year theater major Aivarey Sage, is returning home with his fellow soldiers and commander Don Pedro. This trio brought the energy to the stage, with tangible excitement for the events to come.

Most of the cast was clothed in all white, accentuating the play’s lighthearted tone. (Courtesy of Paolo Gardinali)

In the next scene, the rest of the main characters are introduced: Don Pedro, played by fourth-year theater major Joan Cheam, Claudio and Benedick. Shortly after their entrance and the establishment of their roles occurred one of the best moments of the entire play, one that encapsulated the energy of the entire cast and production as a whole. The ensemble of soldiers, servants and other characters rushed into the quad, partnered up and danced together. This, and every other moment of celebration in the play, left lasting impressions on the audience and their mood.

The progression of the play was filled with funny quips, unscripted asides and clever character choices that made the Naked Shakes production unique. Director Irwin Appel clearly gave his actors creative freedom as they enhanced already comedic moments with their own twists. Actors made various unserious side comments, cried profanities as reactions and dropped hysterical sexual innuendos throughout the show. One of the most notable jokes occurred when Beatrice and Benedick involuntarily exchanged love letters and the “dick” in Benedick was underlined for the whole audience to see, causing an eruption of laughter at the unfortunate situation.

Beatrice, played by Sadjadi, was easily the star of the show, bringing extreme levels of relatability to the college girls in the audience. She is one of Shakespeare’s more witty female characters and her consistent discontent with the idea of marrying a man brought laughter to women in the audience. Her reluctance to even accept her own feelings for Benedick, the disgust of registering that she likes a man, were unbelievably hilarious and resonated with many of the audience members.

Naked Shakes’ production of “Much Ado About Nothing” was the perfect kick off to a new school year and season of the UCSB Department of Theater and Dance. Filling the courtyard with so much joy and laughter, the department and its supporters left in a perfect mood to welcome the new school year.

This appeared in the October 24 print edition of the Daily Nexus.