Posing in character are (top row, from left) Kat Pascual and Isaac Frenza, and (bottom row, from left) Kathryn Whitis and Nate Smith.
Featuring a cast and crew of 65, Fairfax High presents Shakespeare’s classic comedy, “Much Ado About Nothing.” But this version takes place in modern-day Greece at a vacation resort, and it’s also the school’s Cappies show.
“I wanted to do the funniest and happiest story I could think of,” said Director Chris Whitney. “The students make me laugh, every single day, and they’ve tackled Shakespeare’s language like pros. And because we’ve set it in modern times, it’ll be relatable and easy for the audience to understand.”
Show times are Wednesday-Friday, Nov. 20, 21, 22, at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 23, at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are students, $10; adults, $12 or $15 (prime seating) at the door at via www.fxplayers.org.
In this play, a war has ended, and soldiers are visiting the resort. One of them, Claudio, falls in love with Hero, the resort-owner’s daughter. Claudio’s best friend Benedick doesn’t believe in marriage, so he broke up with his girlfriend Beatrice. But a general, Don Pedro, plans to trick Benedick and Beatrice into falling in love again. Planning their own wedding, Claudio and Hero also want the couple to reunite. Meanwhile, Don Pedro’s half-sister plots to break up Claudio’s wedding plans by telling him Hero’s been unfaithful.
Scenes take place outside the resort, at its swimming pool and during a big party in its courtyard. “We’re also doing a thrust-style stage, where the audience sits on three sides of the stage,” explained Whitney. “It gives them a more intimate experience and gets them closer to the action. The moral of the story is that even good people can make terrible mistakes but can find redemption through love. My goal is to make it feel like an Adam Sandler movie, but with Shakespeare’s language.”
Senior Isaac Frenza portrays Benedick. “He’s fun-loving and doesn’t take anything seriously.” Said Frenza. “He’s like a frat guy and doesn’t want to get married; he just wants to date. But because he was in the military, he has some trauma trusting someone enough to marry, or even to be a best friend, because he lost so many friends in the war. So he doesn’t want to get close to anyone.”
Frenza says he, too, loves hanging out with people and having fun, but he’s not afraid of commitment. “Playing Benedick has brought me closer to the students I’m acting with,” he said. “And it’s a nice challenge because of the acting choices I can make playing him – adding in physical comedy while telling a joke.
“The whole cast loves this production. We’re having a great time with it, so that’ll transfer to the audience. And we’re creative with the way we interpret our characters. Each character – even ensemble members – has their own backstory, which adds even more depth to them, and everyone’s doing a great job. We’ll actually go up and talk to the audience members and let them in our jokes firsthand.”
Playing Beatrice is senior Kat Pascual. Beatrice and Hero are cousins, and Beatrice’s uncle owns the resort. “It’s the first time Beatrice and Benedick have seen each other since breaking up,” said Pascual. “They still secretly love each other but are both stubborn and headstrong. She’s independent and adamant that she can do things on her own. But she cares a lot about her friends and Hero, and she’s fiercely protective of what she believes in and the people she loves.”
Pascual enjoys her role because “Beatrice is so witty, and it’s fun constantly trading funny jabs with Isaac as Benedict. She’s way more confident than I’ll ever be. Beatrice says what she means and doesn’t care what other people think about her. And there’s also a part where she gets to give a really intense speech.”
Describing this show as energetic, Pascual said, “What I love about Shakespeare is that you constantly discover new ways to play with his language and find the jokes in it. And our show has a different setting from the original – and even a real pool filled with water.”
Senior Kathryn Whitis portrays Hero. “She’s lovesick and romantic and wants to get married,” said Whitis. “She respects her parents’ wishes, is shyer than her cousin and is innocent and sweet. I’m excited to play her because this is my first bigger role in a play.
“Being one of the leads is hard because you have to understand the meaning of Shakespeare’s lines to really understand the character,” continued Whitis. “But I like that Hero’s similar to me in her hopeful, optimistic personality. She just wants what’s best for others and wants them all, including herself, to be happy.”
Noting that the cast interacts a lot with the audience, she said, “The thrust stage lets them get up close and personal. It’s a really fun show, and we do it in a way that people will be able to understand the storyline, even if they don’t get all the words.”
Portraying Claudio is junior Nate Smith. “He acts tough but is soft,” said Smith. “He has a big heart and doesn’t always know how to control it. He sometimes has outbursts, can confuse himself about love and who he cares about, and can sometimes make bad decisions. But in the end, it’s because he cares, and his intentions are always good.”
Identifying with his character, Smith said, he, too, has a big heart and sometimes makes “questionable decisions because of that. So I think Claudio’s one of the most human characters in the play. I’ve experienced both love and loss, and I get to show that through Claudio and also get to know myself better through him.”
Overall, said Smith, “This play tells a relatable story about something we’ve all experienced, through the lens of comedy. And it’s very lighthearted and fun.”