Much Ado About Nothing set to delight

Much Ado About Nothing (MAAN) is the play that first sparked Christina Penhale’s love of Shakespeare. “My parents rented Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado film version, and I just fell in [...]

Much Ado About Nothing (MAAN) is the play that first sparked Christina Penhale’s love of Shakespeare. “My parents rented Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado film version, and I just fell in love with it and Beatrice,” said the Salt Spring actor, director and theatre producer. “I loved how feisty she is and how she is not afraid to speak her mind at a time when that’s not really what women would do, and I just remember being like eight or nine years old and watching this movie, going, ‘This is amazing!

What is this?’” Fast forward a few decades, and Penhale has become Beatrice, the witty, sharp-tongued heroine through the Shakespeare on Salt Spring Island (SOSSI) comedy presented by exitStageLeft Productions in partnership with Graffiti Theatre at an outdoor theatre for the next two weekends. It’s full of intrigue, villainous intentions, the fuel of overheard conversations and gossip, an abundance of humour and, most importantly, true love.

Friday’s opening night show sold out almost immediately, but as of Monday tickets were available for 7 p.m. shows on Saturday, July 18, a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, July 19, and those at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, July 23, 24 and 25. But Penhale and partner Jeffrey Renn — known far and wide for his acting, directing and consuming of all things Shakespeare — warn that tickets are selling fast, and the shows usually sell out. Renn is also on stage for MAAN, playing the arrogant lord Benedick whose verbal sparring with Beatrice transforms into something much more complicated.

“Most of the time, we don’t act in the plays,” said Renn. “But this year we decided we wanted to actually play together. So this play presented a really great opportunity for both of us.”

It was thanks to a generous offer by friend and longtime director, creator, choreographer and instructor Gwenyth Dobie that Renn and Penhale were able to step onto the stage together. “Jeffrey, Gwenyth and I together created the shape of the show, and then she has taken the helm once we got into more running of the show, so that Jeff and I could keep our actors’ hats on rather than continually having to step out of the scene to direct,” said Penbale. They also expressed gratitude to every member of the cast and crew who has devoted so much time to the production and to the Roome family for creating the built-for-purpose outdoor venue.

This summer marks 10 years of Shakespeare productions initiated by exitStageLeft Productions, which Penhale said built on what Graffiti Theatre started years ago. “Graffiti still partners with us in order to produce the shows,” she said. “So it’s their legacy that we’re continuing.”

One thing Renn and Penhale’s Shakespeare plays have become known for is their connection to current social or political situations. This MAAN is set in Fascist-led Italy in 1936. “It’s using art for enlightenment, education, conversation — all the things art is intended for — to provoke, to make people feel,” explained Penhale.

“Jeff is always very intentional with that. How we stage the show and the setting is germane to what’s happening in our current world, society or community.” Another characteristic of their shows is the deliberate use of an all-ages cast.

For MAAN, the Watch members are children, a critical part of the plot and with charm to spare. Two of them are in the play with their parents Tangle and Tyler McClaron, who met while working in a theatre troupe and have been performers for their kids’ whole lives. “They come to see every show either of us are in, so to be able to be on stage with them for their very first show and to introduce them to this shared passion is a very special experience,” said Tangle.

“To see them creating characters, playing with their lines and being part of the magic is so much fun and makes us incredibly proud.” When Tangle asked how they like being in the show with their mom and dad, Fable, aged seven, said, “Great! I love it!

I give it a million-kadrillion stars,” while her brother Captain, who is nine, said, “I like it. I like it when I get to arrest you guys.” Having watched that scene during a rehearsal earlier this month I can attest that his delight is genuine.

“I love Shakespeare,” said Penhale, “but the thing that inspires us always is the community that’s created around the pieces and the people that come out of the woodwork to be part of it — such as yourself — that we coerce into being part of these crazy productions.” Penhale is referring to including me as the accordion player in the MAAN half-hour pre-show. She and Renn envisioned having a garden party underway as audience members come in and get settled before the play starts.

With the 1930s Italian setting, they needed an accordion player, and somehow I could not refuse the role, even though adding it to my already busy life was insane. But the music chosen by Renn and Penhale is fun, lively and beautiful, with great singing and dancing to go with it. I do not regret being “coerced.”

But if you arrive at the last minute you’re going to miss that part, which begins when doors open 30 minutes before showtime. And if you delay in buying tickets you may miss out on the whole experience. Ticket purchase is through exitstageleftproductions.com with the location and other helpful info provided there.