Story and Photos

By Karen Blake

     The gazebo and gardens inGowanda's Chang-Hu Park were transformed last Saturday into an Italian Renaissance villa and vineyard as the setting fo one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, "Much Ado About Nothing.

     Dressed in splendid period costumes, the cast of 13 young people from the Springville Players performed Jerome McDonough's adaptation of the play written in 1600 by William Shakespeare.

     "It is the tale of two sets of lovers who come to a happy ending by very different means," according to the show program. "Leonato's daughter, Hero, and young lord Claudio fall in love at first sight. All should be well but for sinister Don John who lives to turn every right into a wrong. Gossip is believed and the young lovers undone, saved only by pair of bumbling constables. Meanwhile Hero's cousin, Beatrice, is reintroduced to an old suitor, Benedick. Beatrice and Benedick mistrust their feelings for each other and spend their encounters matching verbal insults. Family and friends play Cupid for the quarrelling couple. 'All's well that ends well' as the two reconciled couples wed."

     This was the first time the Springville Players' Shakespeare play has been taken "on the road." Performed in Springville as "Shakespeare in the Parking Lot," part of the Elizabethan Faire on Saturday, July 26, "Much Ado About Nothing" was scheduled to be put on in Gowanda the next day but was postponed by a thunderstorm. Rescheduled for the following Saturday, the actors and audience were enjoying the sunny afternoon in the park when all at once the skies opened up and torrents of rain came down!

     With just a few minutes' interruption, the young performers proved to be real troupers in the show business tradition and went on with the show. They finished the performance before the hardy audience that had come prepared with umbrellas, joining the players clustered in and around the gazebo/villa for the wedding celebration ending the play.

     This was the third year the young thespians put on the Shakespearean plays, previously performing "A Comedy of Errors," and last year, "The Taming of the Shrew."

     According to Betty Brown who produced the play, a few years ago Carol Mongerson, a fellow member of the Springville Players thought it would be fun to introduce kids to Shakespeare. Brown said they have had "a marvelous bunch of kids turn out," from all over the area from as far as Hamburg and Holland, and last, year some from Gowanda. The kids, who range in age from high-schoolers down to the elementary school level are involved in picking out what play they want to perform, helping with the production, and putting in hours of rehearsals.

     Danielle Mest, who is going into the eighth grade and played "Margaret," a gentlewoman friend to Hero, has been in three plays so far - two of them Shakespeare and wants to do it again next year. Mest says Shakespeare gives the actors a challenge with the language used in that time. She says it's fun to play the part, because "you get to be somebody else besides yourself."

     Brown and Director Shirley Reeves says everyone involved is a volunteer, and gave special acknowledgment to the crew and to Joni Kalinowski who made most of the costumes, including the beautiful dresses and gowns.

     This performance of "Much Ado About Nothing" was arranged by Jeanne Glende, manager of the Gowanda Free Library, and was made possible in part by a grant to the Gowanda Free Library from the Cattaraugus Arts Council, which is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Regrant Program.

     Raffle prizes were donated by Fran and Russell Vacanti, the Legacy Restaurant, and Ponderosa Steakhouse. Other contributions and support from the Gowanda Free Library, Tops Market, Springville McDonald's restaurant, and Emerling Ford-Mercury made this event possible.

     Brown and Reeves encourage anyone who is interested in acting or being a part of the production of the adult Springville Players or the younger players to contact the Springville Center for the Arts, 35 East Main St., Springville, NY 14141 or phone 592-9038. The Arts Center houses a community theater, exhibit gallery, artisan market, and offers concerts and classes year-round.

     Brown said a huge cast of young people is in rehearsals for "Les Miserables," which will be performed at the Arts Center Aug. 8, 9 and 10 and Aug. 15, 16, 17. Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 8 p.m. Matinees at 2 p.m. are offered on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the door or earlier at the Center. Adults are $12 and students and seniors $10.