HowlRound, a “center for the Theatre Commons,” has published an article in their NewCrit series which includes a positive review of this summer’s Much Ado About Nothing, along with a friendly interview with Midsommer Flight’s Artistic Director, Beth Wolf, about presenting Shakespeare in the Park.

The acting style was broadly comedic and easy to follow (no easy feat, given the complexity of Much Ado’s plot), and the pacing tight—as the performance clocked in at ninety minutes. The words fit comfortably in the actors’s mouths as they made clear sense of the complex language. Martel Manning’s Benedick gave a particularly memorable performance leaping and hiding to eavesdrop on Leonato (Scott Olson) and Claudio (Adam Habben) as they gossiped about Beatrice’s (Ashlee Edgemon) love for him. The audience erupted into peals of laughter at the physical comedy. 

To read more, including anecdotes from Wolf about working in the park, check out the full article: Neighborhood Shakespeare in Chicago’s North Side Parks, by Dani Snyder-Young.