Much Ado About Nothing presented by Chicago dell'Arte at RBP Rorschack

Time Out Chicago - Not Recommended

"...We get some silly accents, a little cross-gender casting, a few mystifying reinterpretations of characters (Borachio, the villain’s sidekick, is a raging queen for some reason), and everybody screams a lot. In a program note, Freed says he wanted to make the play feel contemporary while injecting some of the stylized zaniness of commedia dell’arte. Instead, his staging feels motivated by a panicky distrust of Shakespeare’s ability to entertain. After this mess, Shakespeare’s not the one I’m worried about."

ShowBizChicago - Not Recommended

"...Paired with the ambition to undertake a classic comedy in the first place, there’s just enough reason here to watch for Freed and dell’Arte’s future projects. The ideas of this particular “Much Ado,” however, needed much more time to bake."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended

"...This charmingly funny light-weight romp is filled with rich emotions and strong characterizations that get us to laugh and cheer for them.  Meg Elliott, Ned Record and Aaron Kirby were particularly outstanding. The intimate space at The RBP Rorschach heightens the energy of the work. This is a gem of a production by a troupe that both understand Shakespeare and articulates his poetic language to its fullest.  This show is a good time. Chicago dell’Arte is a company to keep an eye on."