Stage Scene
Shakespeare and Mamet take center stage

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Staff Writer

Matthew Malliski and Jennifer Robideau are Benedick and Beatrice, who proclaim their love for each other in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," directed by Terence Knapp and opening tonight at Kennedy Theatre. Lynn L. Mayekawa 'Much Ado About Nothing' 8 p.m. today, Saturday and Thursday; repeats 8 p.m. Oct. 12, 13 and 2 p.m. Oct. 14 Kennedy Theatre $12; $9 for seniors, military, faculty and staff; $7 non-UHM students, $4 UHM students with ID 526-4400, 956-7655, ticketplushawaii.com

In Knapp's memento-strewn University of Hawai'i-Manoa campus sanctuary to chat about this weekend's Kennedy Theatre production of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," the conversation touches on the play only between discussions of a number of other topics. These include, but are not limited to, Knapp's upcoming retirement from full-time teaching, disdain for the bulk of Hollywood's fumblings with the Bard's prose, the Portuguese origins of this writer's surname, life in general and Knapp's desire to someday explore America behind the wheel of an SUV.

"I've never actually had the chance to act in 'Much Ado About Nothing,' but I like it enormously," says Knapp, getting back to the subject at hand while absent-mindedly thumbing a dog-eared copy of the play on his desk. "It's a very sunny play. There's a lot of affection and a lot of high spirits in it."

"Much Ado" tracks a series of witty goings-on between the residents and guests of a sumptuous country villa, as they nose about each others' comic misadventures in love, villainy and near tragedy.

Knapp has directed the play four times — at Kennedy and abroad — but decided to return to "Much Ado" when he discovered students in the theater department who he believed had the talent and character necessary for exemplary representations of young lovers Beatrice and Benedick, and buffoonish constable Dogberry, among others.

"There are so many things that one would love to do at any given time, but if you don't think you can cast it, you can't even begin to plan it," says Knapp.

Plus, Knapp simply adores everything about the comic play, from the oh-so-emotional witticisms of its characters to its idyllic Sicilian setting.

"Shakespeare has four great tragedies: 'Othello,' 'MacBeth,' 'Hamlet' and 'King Lear,'" says Knapp. "So I'm inclined to think that there are also four great comedies." On that short list: "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Twelfth Night," "As You Like It" and, no surprise, "Much Ado About Nothing."

"These are just magical," says Knapp, musing over the list of comedies. "Fancy being clever enough to write just one of them, never mind all four." He chuckles softly. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

Though press releases touting the production have heralded this weekend's "Much Ado" productions as his "directorial swan song," Knapp denies any concrete plans of going quietly into that gentle night.

"If I got an invitation to play something that I really like the idea of doing, then I would do it with the greatest of pleasure," Knapp says about his future. "I'm simply going to wait and see what comes along."

Ben Lukey and Moses Goods (back) in "Edmond," premiering tomorrow at the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre. 'Edmond' 10:45 p.m. Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday; repeats 10:45 p.m. Oct. 12-13 Earle Ernst Lab Theatre, UH-Manoa $7; $6 seniors, military, faculty and staff, non-UHM students; $3 UHM students with ID 956-7655

"By far, the most attractive part of my life here has been encountering an extraordinary range of students," says Knapp. With his new emeritus title, "I'll get to maintain my relationship with the students and the one-to-one, which actually, more than anything else, has kept me here this long."

He's even almost given up his desire to act in a production of "Much Ado."

"I imagine it would be enormous fun to play Benedick especially, but that's all right," sighs Knapp, chuckling. "After all, you can't get around to doing everything in this wicked world. Unless you're John Gielgud, I suppose."

Also on the Manoa campus this weekend

The Department of Theatre and Dance opens its 2001-2002 season of Late Night Theatre at Earle Ernst Lab Threatre with David Mamet's Obie Award-winning "Edmond," a visceral exploration of a morally adrift man's battle with unfulfilled relationships and search for the meaning of existence in a dismal metro underworld.

"I actually hate David Mamet with a passion, so the fact that I fell in love with this script is a big thing," admits director Taurie Goddess. Choosing monologues for theater exercises last February, "I started reading it and couldn't put it down. It was a lot more spiritual then Mamet's other work, and there was so much going on. It wasn't just about men stabbing each other in the back."

Still, don't attend expecting a kinder, gentler Mamet. Packed with profanity, racial slurs and pitch-black run-ins involving sex, violence and prostitution, "Edmond" is not for the weak hearted.

"Part of the reason I liked it was because there was just so much to it," says Goddess. "But I was mainly drawn to the fact that there were all these levels to it. ... 'Edmond' is open to many different interpretations."