For Aquila Theatre, less is more.
Three actors will perform William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” on Tuesday and Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Nile” on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Markel Auditorium, bringing international talent to the Hillsdale community and the knowledge of experienced professionals to Hillsdale College students.
“There’s not a lot of professional theater in Hillsdale County,” Professor of Theater James Brandon said. “It’s nice to have that
option, and for our students studying the art, it’s good to see how professionals do it.”
Now in its 25th year, Aquila is one of the foremost producers of classical theater in the United States. In the past 16 years, Aquila has come to Hillsdale almost every other year.
“They’re in our wheelhouse,” Brandon said. “They’re always doing Shakespeare. They’ve done Ibsen, the ‘Iliad,’ very Hillsdale classical, western tradition stuff.”
Aquila takes on a unique flare to one of Shakespeare’s most sophisticated romantic comedies, Aquila Executive Artistic Director Deseree Sanchez said. Its version takes place in a London pub and centers on the relationship of Benedick and Beatrice rather than the main plot of Claudio, Benedick’s friend, and Hero, Beatrice’s cousin.
“Everyone is always really interested in watching these two guarded, witty, huge personalities battle it out and end up together,” Sanchez said.
The plotline for Claudio and Hero, Sanchez said, comes into play to represent the greatest fears of Benedick and Beatrice as the bartender attempts to get them together.
For “Murder on the Nile,” Aquila Theatre’s founder, Peter Meineck, left “artistic retirement” to direct the play set in a BBC radio studio in London during World War II, Sanchez said. In the play, the studio is supposed to broadcast the story, but only two people show up.
“There’s some interesting framing he used,” Sanchez said. “I don’t want to give it away. It’s poignant. It sort of reflects on our world — America’s politics, all the fear.”
Although there are only three cast members, Sanchez said a small cast is preferable.
Brandon said the plays were written so that actors could play more than one part.
“Aquila is following a tradition that goes back to Shakespeare,” Brandon said. “Playwrights would also write so that they could tour in the provinces. Aquila is continuing in the long-standing tradition.”
Brandon said seeing actors in different roles also demonstrates their breadth of talent.
“It’s really illuminating to see an actor the next night in a totally different role,” Brandon said. “That’s really helpful, seeing what their ranges are and what their limitations are, too.”
The actors all have extensive stage experience and come from all over the world, from New Jersey to London, England, to Bahrain.
Since the troupe travels to more than 60 cities every year, it also has to keep its set design simple.
“That is one of our biggest challenges every year,” Sanchez said. “How do we create something that is beautiful and entertaining to look at in every place we go, whether it is a facility with the best technical equipment or a more limited facility?”
And the simpler scenic design follows the western theatrical tradition, too, Brandon said.
“What Aquila is doing with limited set elements is bringing it out of the box,” Brandon said. “It’s what Shakespeare intended. The Globe doesn’t have a bunch of scenery.”
The company will also teach a master class for theater students during an Acting I class Wednesday.
“Aquila is a world-famous producing company,” theater chairman and director George Angell said in an email. “It is a basic tenet of education that students should be exposed to the work and, if possible, the direct training of people in their discipline.”
Although the plays take on serious topics, Sanchez said the performances will entertain.
“They should definitely come prepared to smile and laugh,” Sanchez said.