“Much Ado” at DeSales about much more than “nothing”

Hellertown’s own director extraordinaire, Matt Pfeiffer, brings a world-class, bluesy version of Shakespeare’s sweet comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” to DeSales University through Aug. 7 to the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.

We took the whole family, and no one left without a smile on their face.

Hellertown resident and PSF director Matt Pfeiffer

The summery southern Italy-set tale of dual courtships and puntastic high jinx boasts a magical midsummer set design of twinkling lights, climbing vines, flower bouquets and arabesque hanging lanterns.

With the lots of party masks, hidden characters and a bit of New Orleans-style dancing, this take on the 1599 comedy—written by the Bard right before “Hamlet”—possesses a carnivalesque “mardi gras” feel without ever losing its very Elizabethan poise and decorum.

Pfeiffer’s wise direction of the play offers something for everyone.

At times, the comedy is belly-laugh broad and hilariously raucous; and at other moments, you feel inspired to buy the play and quietly read along like a literature student, sitting back in quiet awe.

It might be a work of literary art from 500 years ago, but “Much Ado” still has so many lines that drill down to the nature of love-problems today, such as “I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest” and “Let me be that I am, and seek not to alter me.”

I mean, this is the kind of stuff you might hear a version of at some Co-Dependent’s Anonymous meeting in Bethlehem.

Pfeiffer and an inspiringly diverse and experienced cast preserve the Elizabethan charms of the love stories, but bring them into 2022 emphatically, with a slow-burning sexuality and healthy dose of skepticism about declarations of love.

There’s great, blues-tinged singing, ribald wordplay aplenty and above all, a cast who persuasively import the sly skepticism of contemporary relationships into their interpretation of Shakespeare.

In the smaller Schubert Theatre—my favorite of the PSF’s two stages, usually—you’re up close and personal with the actors.

Akeem Davis, in the complicated role of Benedick, demonstrates incredibly versatile and wide-ranging acting skills as a world-weary court wit.

At moments, Davis expertly brings audience members into the story (you may want avoid the front row if you want to avoid this lol) with just the right amounts of warmth and insouciance.

The internationally respected Festival in Center Valley has always been about combining professional national talent with top DeSales Theatre alums and students.

It’s very hard to settle on stars, but Brett Ashley Robinson (Beatrice) and Sean Close (Don John) particularly stood out to me and the family as gifted.

And no one left the show not deeply admiring the comedic talent of Philadelphia’s Anthony Lawton as Dogberry.

DeSales grad Michael Covel, who plays the Musician/Balthazar role, weaves everything together musically with his laidback acoustic guitar fingerpicking and a honeyed tenor voice.

Taysha Marie Canales, as the loyal Margaret, was for me the quiet center of the production, participating in all the passions of the society around her but also almost getting crushed by big family power-broking and deceits she must try to navigate as a woman in a male-dominated world.

Now that the Festival is back indoors after pandemic challenges, it’s time to get back to enjoying the delights of professional-grade Shakespeare performances right in our backyard.

Tickets are available online for the shows up through Aug. 7.