Some readers like romance novels for “the spice and the swoon,” the hot-and-heavy, the yearning and growling. Hannah, a hopeful young voice actor in “Lady Disdain,” likes knowing how the story will end.
“I know it’s going to be OK for the characters I love,” she says. “There’s safety in that, and that’s what I need. … These books remind me that good guys exist. Or should.”
Beatrice (Colleen Madden) and Hannah (Phoebe González) narrate an audiobook in “Lady Disdain.”
In “Lady Disdain,” a delightful new adaptation of “Much Ado About Nothing,” playwright Lauren Gunderson takes the sparring enemies-to-loves of Shakespeare’s comedy and leaves the tropes we no longer have use for. If you’d love a modern “Much Ado” where the patriarchy doesn’t always win, plus a lot of bawdy jokes, this is your show.
Forward Theater produces Gunderson’s comedy in the Overture Center Playhouse through April 26. “Disdain” is a rolling world premiere and part of World Premiere Wisconsin. It heads next to Asolo Rep in Sarasota, Florida.
With wits as sharp as their Shakespearean counterparts, modern-day Beatrice and Ben(edick) resume their “merry war” in an audiobook recording studio. They are surrounded by soothing tones — Steve Barnes designed the acoustic panels, wooden accents and soft-hued decorative rug, warmly lit by Greg Hofmann.
Voice actors Hannah (Phoebe González) and Beatrice (Colleen Madden) take advice from the romantasy author (Alys Dickerson) who wrote the book their narrating in “Lady Disdain.” Steve Barnes designed the set and Greg Hofmann designed the lighting.
Audio producer Danny (Matt Daniels) has cashed in on a “smutty gold rush” of romantasy, casting our two acrimonious exes opposite each other to read a dragon witch/vampire duke series that’s blowing up.
Bea (Colleen Madden) and Ben (David Daniel) record in separate rooms. But Danny will be, to their dismay, “blending the moans.” Ben already hates the project. “Smut” is not serious enough for him. It’s “built on delusion.”
“I was the serious literature guy and now I’m the swoony monster guy?” Ben pouts. “Give me anything but this romance crap.”
Beatrice (Colleen Madden) and Ben (David Daniel) try to resist falling for each other again in “Lady Disdain,” based on “Much Ado About Nothing.”
The scathing rebuttal to this delivered by Beatrice — a long-ago ex Ben texted after reading one smoldering scene — is part aria, part dissertation. Madden, pacing the stage as she refuses to give ground, is in her element as Beatrice mops the floor with Ben.
Women know that love and marriage was and often is, still, life and death, she says. It wasn’t designed for men. And the formula is working, by the millions.
“Some books get trophies, some get residuals,” she scoffs. This scene by itself is worth the price of admission to “Lady Disdain.”
Hannah (Phoebe González) and Claudio (Ronald Román-Meléndez) fall in love in “Lady Disdain.”
Alys Dickerson is perfectly cast as nerdy-chic romantasy author Alice, whose “freaky little stories” are changing her life. Phoebe González plays our modern day Hero, a smiley sweetheart named Hannah — another audiobook narrator — who falls quickly for sound engineer Claudio (Ronald Román-Meléndez).
They’re awkward and adorable together, until a second act scandal threatens to tank Hannah’s budding film career. (Hofmann’s lighting strobes around Hannah, as if the internet can take physical form inside her home.)
Madden and Daniel played opposite each other in American Players Theatre’s “Much Ado” in 2014, and they’re still a compelling, entertaining pair of combatants. Madden has a frank, unyielding stare that could level a courtroom and Daniel is well-practiced as a curmudgeon who’s actually a big softie.
Beatrice (Colleen Madden) is swayed by both romantasy and a real-life romance in “Lady Disdain.”
Director Jen Uphoff Gray keeps a tight focus on our enemies-to-lovers, pushing them together whether they’re fighting or not. At one point they’re so wrapped up in their argument, Danny has to push himself over the back of the couch to get out of the way.
Gunderson packs the script with innuendo and silliness, gleefully stealing lines from the original Shakespeare. Some early exposition goes on a bit long (we get it, Ben, you don’t like romance), but overall the play moves like a well-plotted novel.
From left, the cast of Forward Theater’s “Lady Disdain” snaps a selfie: Matt Daniel, Phoebe González, Alys Dickerson, Ronald Román-Meléndez and Colleen Madden.
I don’t like to talk about the audience, but the amount of “mm-HMM” and “aww” and “let’s go!” coming out of the crowd during opening weekend shows that “Lady Disdain” hits what it aims for. (I’m not the only one who howled at a line about the resilience of a “high-achieving eldest daughter theater kid” — call me out, why don’t you?)
Toward the middle of the play, the characters in “Lady Disdain” sprawl about the stage, each reading from their own, ah, penetrating novel. Beatrice and Ben both want something real, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have fantasy too. There, no matter the obstacle, things are guaranteed to turn out all right.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source captimes.com ’
