'Much Ado About Nothing': Cranking up the color and charisma * Oregon ArtsWatch

"Who needs Santa when we have director Asae Dean, who has gifted us with her fresh and merry version of Much Ado About Nothing for the holiday season? Presented by her theater company, Salt and Sage, in repertory with Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale at Artists Repertory Theatre, this irrepressible and accessible production is a charismatic mix of inspired performances, along with music, dance and design ... plus some satisfying sass flicked in the face of a few patriarchal party poopers."

"The plot of Much Ado, one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, involves a pair of warring wit crackers, Beatrice and Benedick, both of whom claim they're happy without partners. When Beatrice's cousin, Hero, gets engaged to Benedick's pal, Claudio, though, their friends take it upon themselves to fool the sworn singletons into falling in love with each other as well. All goes according to plan until the devious Don John plays a trick of his own, persuading Claudio that Hero is cheating on him."

"What's more, Hero's own dad, Leonato (David Heath), says he'd rather see her dead than believe she cuckolded Claudio. Not to worry, though: This Hero, played by Nina Pamintuan, is not the bashful and boo-hooing victim we usually see, but a woman enraged by her unworthy fiancé. Her act of defiance when left standing at the altar is a theatrical triumph - visually changing the tone of the Elizabethan play without imposing a clumsy and contemporary re-write."

Asae Dean directs a fresh, merry Much Ado About Nothing presented by Salt and Sage in repertory with Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale at Artists Repertory Theatre. The production blends inspired performances with music, dance, and bold design, punctuated by satisfying sass aimed at patriarchal figures. The plot pairs witty singles Beatrice and Benedick whose friends engineer romance while Don John deceives Claudio into believing Hero's infidelity. Claudio publicly shames Hero and Leonato angrily renounces her, but Nina Pamintuan's Hero rejects the passive victim role and mounts a defiant, visually transformative act at the altar. Dean's imaginative staging reinvigorates the comedy without awkward modernizing.

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