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A CurtainUp Review
These Paper Bullets!
A Modish Ripoff of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing


"Kill Claude!"— Bea's demand to Ben as a token of his love
These Paper Bullets!
The Quartos: Bryan Fenkart as Claude, Lucas Papaelias as Balth, James Barry as Pedro (on drums), and David Wilson Barnes as Ben (Photo credit: Joan Marcus)
If you missed the ebullience of the swinging 1960's because of youth or indifference, a trip to the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven will more than compensate for the oversight. There, brimming with wit, foot tapping rhythm and nearly two dozen go-for-broke performances you will discover the most original show of the Connecticut season: These Paper Bullets! or, as the subtitle proclaims: "A Modish Ripoff of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing." Ripoffs, mash-ups and re-imaginings of works by the Bard are nothing new, but rarely has the marriage between the classic and the contemporary been such fun.

Rolin Jones has set his cool adaptation of "Much Ado" in London in 1964 at the height of not only the "Mod" scene, but also the arrival of the Beatles on the world stage. Taking his opening cue directly from the original play, Shakespeare's lords returning from battle to the port city of Messina, are transformed into a quartet of singers named the "Quatros," who arrive back in London after a triumphant tour of America. With their cereal bowl haircuts and "Mod" suits there is little doubt who they're meant to represent. Their names: Ben, Claude, Pedro and Balth are variations on "Much Ado" characters Benedict, Claudio, Pedro and Balthasar.

It may take a few scenes to figure out which Quatro is meant to represent which Beatle. But it's soon clear that Ben (David Wilson Barnes) is most likely John Lennon, Claude (Bryan Fenkart) is Ringo, and Pedro (James Barry) and Balthazar (Lucas Papaelias) are McCartney and Harrison.

Blending swatches of original and cleverly reworked dialog incorporating "swinging" lingo and an abundance of fairly graphic sexual language and innuendo, the plot lines follow the original. The feisty love/hate relationship between Benedict and Beatrice (here represented as Bea, a Mary Quant style fashion designer, and played with verve by Jeanine Serralles) is much as you may remember it. Spat, flirt, spat, flirt.

The subplot about the other pair of lovers, Claudio and Hero — here Claude and Higgy (Ariana Venturi) which turns on slander and trumped up charges of infidelity is likewise true to the original. Higgy is a pill-popping version of Twiggy, the bone thin model and "Mod" icon.

Shakespeare's most comic characters, the bumbling Constable Dogberry and his equally inept assistants Verges, Seacoal and a watchman are transformed (in name only) to Mr. Berry of Scotland Yard (Greg Stuhr), Mr. Urges (Brad Heberlee), Mr. Coal (Anthony Manna) and Mr. Cake (Jabari Brisport).

Berry mangles the English language and his thought process with comic finesse, and Jones has provided him with some Inspector Clouseau-like speeches that are actually funnier than the Bard's (Trust me).

In the large cast, I particularly enjoyed Stephen DeRosa as Higgy's hotelier father and occasional audience sing-along leader, Adam O'Byrne as Don Best, a hybrid of the play's treachous Don John and the ousted original Beatles member, Peter Best. Brian McManamon also scored as a swishy paparazzo and Andrew Musselman was a sleasy tabloid reporter. Liz Wisan etched a spot-on characterization as an overbearing BBC reporter.

In addition to the giddy, colorful costumes, infectious music and lively choregraphy by Monica Bill Barnes, there are an abundance of spoofs to enjoy: ribbing the BBC, the secret service (M-1 or M-5 or whatever), fashion, (the Mod look – short, short skirts, bright neon colors) the tabloids, dance fads (the frug, remember?) inept cops, even her Majesty herself. Amusing projections, including live audience shots were the contribution of Nicholas Hussong.

The songs by Billie Joe Armstrong (American Idiot), are pleasantly derivative of the Beatles' (a high compliment), with even the titles sounding like the Fab Four: "Respectfully Yours," "Give It All To You," Baby Blues," and "It Keeps Me Satisfied." Since the "Quartos" are also excellent singers and musicians it's like getting a Beatles concert as a bonus

If you read this as a rave (almost), I did have a few caveats. Director Jackson Gay, who marshaled the many elements of the show with skill, did allow frantic physical comedy that was often too broad and sometimes icky.

At one point, Beatrice is required to hide-in-plain-sight wrestling a dressmaker's dummy, doning a bear skin rug and dipping her hands into a container filled with vomit. Grotty. Gay and Jones could have wisely used an editor's scissors as the show runs too long (2 hours 45 minutes,long after its high spirits have been nearly exhausted.

All said, this is a "really big shoe," as a television giant of the period would have pronounced. Almost all of this ado about Much Ado works just fine. And yes, that was a man (Christopher Geary) playing the Queen.

These Paper Bullets!
Adapted By Rolin Jones from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
Director: Jackson Gay Songs by Billie Joe Armstrong
Cast: David Wilson Barnes (Ben), Bryan Fenkart (Claude), James Barry (Pedro), Lucas Papaelias (Balth), James Lloyd Reynolds (Anton), Adam O'Byrne (Don Best), Jeanine Serralles (Bea), Ariana Venturi (Higgy), Stephen DeRosa (Leo), Andrew Musselman (Boris) Brian McManamon (Colin), Greg Stuhr (Mr. Berry), Liz Wisan (Paulina). Ensemble: Jabari Brisport, Ceci Fernandez, Brad Heberlee, Keira Naughton, Christopher Geary, Anthony Manna.
Scenic Design: Michael Yeargan
Costume design: Jessica Ford
Choreographer: Monica Bill Barnes
Music Director: Julie McBride
Projection Designer: Nicolas Hussong
Stage Manager: Robert Chikar
Through April 5
Yale Repertory Theatre University Theatre, 222 York Street New Haven, Ct.
Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes with one 15- minute intermission.
Performances Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. matinees Wednesday March 26 and Saturdays at 2.
Tickets are $20 to $98. www.yalerep.org or (203) 432-1234.
Reviewed by Chesley Plemmons at the March 22 matinee.
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