Author: May S Ruiz

Kenneth Bell Mentors Duarte’s Youth

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Originally published on 31 December 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

As Ken Bell puts it, he might not be here today if it weren’t for a vice-principal’s timely and thoughtful involvement when he was a very young student living in Los Angeles.  

After Bell beat a gang member one Friday morning in school, word went around that there was going to be a showdown between him and the same gang member when school let out. The wise vice-principal sent him home 15 minutes before school ended and when the kids came back to class the following week, they had forgotten the incident. Thus, trouble was successfully averted.

That lesson he learned early in life taught him the value of intervention to avoid a possible combustible situation. It stayed with him during his years at the “Hard Core Gang Unit” in the District Attorney’s office.  And it was what prevented riots from breaking out after the Rodney King beating trial in 1992. 

Anticipating problems after the Rodney King proceedings verdict, Bell invited 19 inner city gang leaders to his church on 52nd and Hoover Street in L.A. to meet with the various police chiefs in LA County. Bell smiles as he recounts that momentous event, “No one has ever managed to get law enforcement officers and gang leaders together. It was tough getting them there, but it was tougher getting them to leave – the communication was so good that a certain respect was reached among them.”        

As a member of the Duarte School Board, Bell created the “Yes, We Can!” (As in: Yes, we can have a safe campus and get along as fellow students) program in the city’s middle schools. The program wasn’t anti-gang, it was anti-violence. According to Bell, he selected 25 student leaders on campus to serve as role models for kids in elementary school. With them, he talked about how they could be agents for the positive, how they could help identify brewing problems, and how they could stave these off before they escalate. 

With the sponsorship of The Gas Company, Bell held an all-day summer camp at Monrovia Canyon Park for these “Yes, We Can!” student leaders. He invited several prominent city officials, including district attorney, Jackie Lacey, to be guest speakers. During the camp, they also discussed possible situations they might come across, and how to handle these.

Dressed in T-shirts emblazoned with the “Yes, We Can!” logo, this multi-cultural group leaders visited all six elementary schools in Duarte. There they spoke to 6th graders and discussed transitioning to 7th grade. Alums of the elementary schools spoke of their middle school experience; this helped calm the minds of kids about what awaited them in 7th grade.

According to Bell, they also invited all 6th graders to spend a day at Duarte High School to vie in sport competitions. Students from the six elementary schools were mixed to play in the various competitions, in a fun environment. Boundaries were broken that day – students played together and they all had fun. Everyone realized that each one was the same after all and it made for a seamless transition into middle school where they will all meet again.           

The “Yes, We Can!” campaign was eventually handed over to the school counselors and Bell went on to start yet another initiative – STAR or Students Taking Action Responsibly. Some “graduates” of “Yes, We Can!” are now in STAR. It is a two-year program aimed at holding various campus activities promoting campus safety. 

Now Duarte Unified School District (DUSD) is known as the place Where Everybody Belongs (WEB). Transitioning from elementary to middle school or middle school to high school can be a daunting prospect. To help Duarte’s youth ease into new grade levels confidently and smoothly, DUSD implements national programs called WEB and Link Crew. WEB is a middle school orientation and transition program that partners 8th grade mentors with 7th graders. Every transitioning student is assigned a mentor and all student mentors go through an application and interview process; those selected then receive two days of extensive leadership and mentoring training.  

Throughout the year, WEB and Link Crew mentors put on various social and academic activities for the 7th and 9th graders, ranging from holiday parties to team competitions, to classroom lessons on bullying prevention and school success. More importantly, WEB and Link Crew mentors are a source of encouragement and support for 7th and 9th graders on campus, and the programs ensure that all students feel they are in a place where everyone belongs.

Schools, parents, and society, in general, are all responsible for providing a positive and safe environment for all young people Duarte students. He knows that young people need to be able to talk to someone they can trust. Timely intervention can save one young man from a gangster life. Bell can attest to that with utmost certainty.    

Bell’s efforts on behalf of the youth have not gone unnoticed. For his dedicated service to the affairs of the community and numerous contributions to the residents of L.A. County, the  NAACP Pasadena branch honored him with the Community Award. He was feted during the 30th Annual Ruby Knight Williams Awards Dinner held on October 8, 2015. 

For Ken Bell, it is a journey from a possible life on the edge of violence to one of model citizenship. 

‘A Christmas Carol’ at A Noise Within

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Originally published on 26 November 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

It has become an all-too common occurrence – hordes of buyers fighting over the last $99.00 BluRay disc player at a big box store the day after Thanksgiving, heralding the Christmas shopping season. But there was a time, before the Christmas spirit took on the guise of Black Friday doorbuster specials, when this season meant goodwill towards humankind.  

A Noise Within (ANW), a repertory theatre company in Pasadena, is bringing back the sentiments that this time of year should evoke. Beginning this Saturday, the 5th of December through Wednesday, the 23rd, San Gabriel Valley residents can come to enjoy its production of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic A Christmas Carol.

Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, ANW’s co-artistic director with her husband, Geoff Elliott, says this is the perfect antidote to the consumerism that has defined the Christmas season. She says, “A lot of people just want to break away from all the shopping during the holidays.”

This is the fourth year that ANW is mounting A Christmas Carol on their stage and Elliott and Rodriguez-Elliott are sharing directorial credits. This collaboration is hugely beneficial not just for the performers but for the audience as well. As Elliott succinctly puts it, “Co-directing makes sense; two heads are better than one.”

Being the more tech-minded director of the two, Rodriguez-Elliott concentrates on all the technical elements. She expands on this, “A director has to mind the lighting, costume, props and at the same time pay equal attention to the actors. When we co-direct, Geoff can give notes to the performers while I give feedback to the designers.”

“It isn’t that I don’t like the technical aspect of directing,” explains Elliott, “I have to say I enjoy it as well – though maybe not as much as Julia does – but I want to focus in greater detail  on the performers and the honesty of the moment.”

Rodriguez-Elliott, for her part, says “The more I do it, the more I appreciate the designers and what they bring – they can illuminate, elevate what you’re doing with the actors. A perfectly lit moment, or a visual scene done correctly, has an impact on the audience beyond what happens in the rehearsal room under fluorescent lights.”

This iteration of A Christmas Carol is Elliott’s 2000 adaptation from the original ANW production. He relates, “The original production was incredibly successful artistically but it was dark and bloody. When we decided to revisit it in 2000, we wanted to bring the light, the love between the Cratchits and other characters in the play. We needed a different take on it.”

The Cratchits | Courtesy Photo

A Noise Within’s move to its present home in Pasadena was the excellent time and opportunity to mount this ambitious endeavor. Explains Rodriguez-Elliott, “The Masonic Temple didn’t have enough seats so it didn’t make much sense production-wise. With a finite number of days we can play it based on our schedule and the holiday, we wouldn’t have enough performances.  In this venue, we can give this adaptation a full run.”

It is a fortunate outcome for many of us who remember reading Charles Dickens’ memorable work of fiction growing up. That it is performed – with actual people on stage – gives this novella much greater extent and meaning.      

“A Christmas Carol is the ultimate story of redemption and transformation ever written,” Elliott proclaims. “While we present the play every year, it is never stale because we always find something different to do. Even the performers who think they might want to take a break from it after having done it several times, come back to it because they realize it is a living, breathing fabric.”

Adds Rodriguez-Elliott, “I am seeing it fresh because I am in a different place from where I was a year ago. And as a director there’s always that feeling of ‘Gosh I’m not happy with this’. We have that opportunity to improve on it every year or make it better. And this is exactly what A Christmas Carol is all about – a tale of how even the most miserly curmudgeon on earth can change for the better.” 

“As scary as some children might think of Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, they are there out of love,” Elliott expounds. “They are all benevolent ghosts who want to help Scrooge. This is the attraction of A Christmas Carol; it is why people come to see it. We all want a chance at redemption.”

At the end of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is overwhelmed with joy at the chance to redeem himself and is grateful for having returned to Christmas Day. He rushes out into the streets to share his newfound spirit. And from that day on, he celebrates the season by giving to the poor and treating others with generosity, kindness, and warmth.

How impressively mesmerizing it must be to behold this final scene as it unfolds before us! Maybe for longer than a few lingering moments, we wouldn’t equate Christmas with doorbuster specials. When Elliott pronounces that “live theatre is here to stay – it’s life changing,” this must be what he means. 

December College Search Guide

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Originally published on 3 December 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

The road to college

Cool and brisk weather, with wispy clouds scattered on clear blue skies, usually characterize December in California. Children are eagerly anticipating the Christmas season and winter break.  As we head towards the end of the year, some students are finishing up on the first semester, grateful that they are halfway through this school year.

FRESHMAN

What a relief it must be for your 9th grader – he or she has survived the first semester of high school. While your children’s thoughts may be all about Christmas vacation, this would be a good time to evaluate their progress. Remind them that while first semester grades don’t show on the final transcript, these are barometers of their academic strengths and weaknesses. Encourage them to use the winter break to plan how to improve where needed and how to build on their successes going into the second semester.

SOPHOMORE

If your children are taking AP courses they should also have taken the AP and SAT II exams.  They should take the time to meet with their college counselors for guidance on how to improve their test scores, if necessary. Now is the time to look at their interests to determine what college course they might be suited for. Based on their aptitude and grades, they will have to start planning on their course options for 11th grade. They can also start looking at which colleges offer the course they might want to pursue.

JUNIOR

This is an all-important year for your 11th grader and it is one of the busiest of their high school career. Your children should be able to successfully balance their academic and extra-curricular responsibilities. They should have already taken rigorous course loads, participated in campus activities and moved into positions of leadership in whatever extra-curricular endeavor they chose.

Your children should start preparing for the ACT or SAT exams either by taking practice tests online or by taking a prep course. By this time, college counselors have met with you and your children and given you an overview of the college application process. They should already have been to at least one College Fair and have met with a few admissions officers.

It might also be an opportune time to visit some colleges, at least the ones in California, before the spring break when you might consider going to out-of-town universities. If you haven’t thought about college visits, now is the time to put it on your calendar. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for your children to see the campus for themselves. There is nothing more unfortunate than for them to matriculate to a college only to be miserable after the first few months. Adjusting to life away from one’s parents and the reality of college life is bad enough, finding out they are in the wrong school is just an added worry.

SENIOR

While kids all around are excited about the Christmas holidays – thinking about what movies they want to watch, and where to spend their time during their winter vacation – your high school senior is sweating over his or her personal essay or feverishly writing all the supplemental essays colleges are requiring when they submit their college application.  

This is a crucial time for every senior. He or she needs as much encouragement as elbow room to get their college applications ready for sending. Your children should be in constant communication with the school counselor to ensure that all transcripts, teacher recommendations and supplemental material are sent to all the colleges to which they are applying.  hey should be on top of application deadlines for all the schools to which they plan to apply.    

If your 12th grader has received an acceptance letter from his or her first choice – whether through Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED), then he or she must be ecstatic. An ED means your child is legally bound to matriculate to that university, and his or her college search is over. Whew!  If your child was accepted to a school through EA, he or she can either accept that offer or still go on to apply to other schools.

Accepting an EA offer relieves your children of pressure so they can enjoy the Christmas holidays but it doesn’t give them leverage if they are qualified for scholarships. The best scenario is to apply to and get accepted to several colleges so your children can pick and choose where they get the best financial offer or scholarship.

If your children are fortunate enough to have heard from their school, and have been offered admission, it would be thoughtful of them not to brag about their acceptance. Some of his or her classmates may have applied to the same school and are hoping for admission. The university to which your child was accepted might be his or her classmate’s first choice. It would be very hurtful to then boast that he or she has been accepted but is not planning on attending that college.

On the other hand, if your children have been deferred on the EA or ED round, there are some things they can do to enhance their chances during the regular round. They can write a strong letter of interest and intent – all colleges and universities are concerned about their yield. If they are assured that your child will matriculate if accepted, they will look at him or her in a more favorable light (that is, if your child fits the profile they are looking for). They can send any updates on any significant changes since they sent their application – a letter from a counselor about their first semester work or a letter from a senior teacher. They can also send in their first semester grades, especially if they have received some As in the meantime.   

Provide encouragement to your children if they have been deferred – the school isn’t rejecting them, they have just been put in the pool for the regular round. Remember that these admission officers have thousands of applications to read. They wouldn’t want to go through your children’s application again if they weren’t interested in the first place: they would have just outright rejected them.        

Your children should research all available scholarships, and start completing the FAFSA.

Some useful websites are: Affordable Colleges Online (http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/graduating-debt-free); CollegeXpress (www.collegexpress.com); Fastweb (www.fastweb.com); Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.fafsa.ed.gov); National Merit Scholarship Corporation (www.nationalmerit.org);  Scholarships.com (www.scholarships.com); Scholarships360 (www.scholarships360.org); Student Aid on the Web (www.studentaid.ed.gov).

The Life and Times of Y.C. Hong Focus of Exhibit at The Huntington

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Originally published on 18 December 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

You Chung (Y.C.) Hong | Photo courtesy of The Huntington

The United States is one big melting pot – a land of immigrants who come from far-flung corners of the world. It’s almost inconceivable, therefore, that there was a time when Americans were openly hostile to certain foreign nationals who wanted to come into this country. And yet, this was the reality that You Chung (Y.C.) Hong, foremost Chinese-American immigration lawyer, encountered during the early years of the 20th century. 

A practicing immigration lawyer from 1927 to 1977, Y.C. worked relentlessly on behalf of Chinese settlers and, in the span of his career, helped over 7,000 enter the country legally. He was one of the Asian experts invited to take part in President Harry Truman’s commission to study and reform the U.S. Immigration system.

Y.C.’s history and life’s work is the subject of a show currently going on the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. Li Wei Yang, Curator of Western American History, says, “We were compelled to mount an exhibition because it was the first time the Huntington has received a collection about the life of a major Chinese-American figure in L.A. We felt it was important to let the community know, especially in San Marino and the San Gabriel Valley, that we are serious about the preservation of Chinese-American history. We want to show that we care about this community and that we encourage future collections of this kind.”   

To make the exhibition more accessible to a greater number of visitors, the Huntington presented it in bilingual form – translation panels are available to Chinese speakers. Six topical sections divide the 77 items on display – from a broad overview of why and how the Chinese came into the country to the last section showing the establishment of a family-friendly Chinatown in L.A.  

As the exhibit reveals, Y.C. was born in San Francisco in 1898 to Chinese-American parents who originated from Southern China. His early childhood was marked by two significant events – his father died at an early age leaving his mom to raise two boys on her own. And he was accidentally dropped by a relative who was taking care of him. The resulting spinal damage limited his full height to reach only four feet and five inches tall.    

In spite of his early misfortunes, Y.C. had a normal childhood. He graduated from Berkeley High School in 1915, then traveled around the country for a while, and worked as a bookkeeper at a Chinese restaurant in Boston. 

Y. C. Hong with his wife and sons | Photo courtesy of The Huntington

In 1918, Y.C. came to L.A. and was employed as Chinese translator for the Bureau of Immigration while attending night school. He passed the California Bar Exams in 1923, a remarkable feat as he was still a year away from receiving his Bachelor’s degree from USC. He was one of the first Chinese-Americans to be licensed to practice law; he graduated in 1924 and earned his Master’s degree in 1925 at USC. His 74-page Master’s thesis analyzed how the extension and administration of the Chinese Exclusion Act deviated from the original decree, making Chinese-Americans second-class citizens in their own country. In 1927, Y.C. became an immigration lawyer.

Y.C. grew up during the period when Chinese laborers were considered persona non grata. The Chinese Exclusion Act, which was in effect from 1882 to 1943, prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country. Chinese miners who were in California during the Gold Rush were singled out, and had to pay $4 each month for the right to engage in mining. This tax practically legalized discrimination.

The Chinese Exclusion Act made it essential for every Chinese traveler to carry a passport when they came into the U.S. China’s Qing government issued passports to all merchants, missionaries, students, and all returning residents.

Beginning in 1909, all Chinese with legal status in the U.S. were issued Photo Certificates of Identity – a requirement which only applied to the Chinese, until 1928. This residence certificate became their proof of their legal right to be here – if stopped by the police, they had to produce such ID or they could be arrested or deported. It was eventually replaced by the Alien Registration Receipt Card, informally known as the “green card.”

As rules became ever more stringent, making it extremely difficult for Chinese immigrants to file the necessary paperwork, much less navigate the complex process, lawyers became requisite. Successful entry into the U.S. depended on their ability to recall precise details of family history during long hours of interrogation. While immigration officers used this deterrent, it didn’t stop the Chinese from coming as they adapted to the technique. Y.C. provided his clients with a list of commonly asked questions (which numbered in the hundreds), to which they constructed all the answers. They then used this “cheat sheet” to pass the test – they had found a way to outsmart the authorities. 

On March 28, 1931,Y.C. married Mabel Chin Qong, another Chinese-American whom he met during a Student Exchange in San Francisco in 1928. Mabel was one of the first Chinese-Americans to graduate from the University of Oregon. Their marriage produced two boys – Nowland and Roger.

In L.A. there was an old Chinatown which was a haven for gambling and prostitution. When it was razed in the 1930s to make way for Union Station, a group of Chinese entrepreneurs purchased land to build a new Chinatown on Broadway. It was designed and erected to appeal to families, and a place not just for the Chinese, but for everyone who wanted to learn about this Asian culture. It was the first planned Chinatown in the United States. Y.C. commissioned three buildings where he moved his law offices.

During World War II the Chinese became American allies as they joined the fight against a common enemy – Japan. Mabel helped the American Women’s Volunteer Services raise funds for and run the Chinese canteen, located in Chinatown, providing meal services and entertainment to servicemen in L.A. Approximately 1,500 military personnel patronized the canteen every month. Y.C.’s and Mabel’s war relief efforts in Chinatown were a huge success that a military ambulance airplane was named “Los Angeles Chinese” in recognition of their contributions.

A very astute man, Y.C. recognized the value of political connections sympathetic to the Chinese. He befriended politicians and contributed to their campaigns; he worked the system. 

Y.C. Hong with Ronald Reagan, then governor of California | Photo courtesy of The Huntington

The Hong family papers document that in 1947 Senator Philip Hart introduced S747, which was merged with a bill proposed by Representative Emanuel Celler to form the basis of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. This Act served as the foundation for the current immigration system, which abolished the National Origins Formula and emphasized job skills and family reunification.

Executive Order 10392, issued by President Truman on September 4, 1952 established the President’s Commission on Immigration and Naturalization. Y.C. was one of the experts invited to give their opinions. The Commission’s report “Whom Shall We Welcome” urged reform of the then-current immigration system. 

Y.C.’s and Mabel’s two sons went on to lead distinguished lives. Their older son, Nowland C. Hong, graduated from Pomona College in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. And, like his father before him, he matriculated at USC’s School of Law, earning his juris doctor degree in 1960. In 1961, he passed the California Bar Examinations and was appointed deputy city attorney of Los Angeles by City Attorney Roger Arnebergh. He served as chief general counsel for the L.A. Board of Harbor Commissions. He was also a founding member and two-term president of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association. He served as grand president of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (of which his late father was an active member). He lives in Pasadena.

Roger S. Hong, their younger son, graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from USC in 1965, and a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning in 1968. He was certified as a licensed architect in many states, including California. Some of his notable projects include the expansion of the California Exposition and State Fair (Sacramento), Thomas and Mack Center (Las Vegas), Kunlun Hotel (Beijing) and Chieh Shou Sports Park (Taipei). He cofounded Arechaederra Hong Treiman Architects in the late 1970s. After his retirement in the early 1960s, he devoted himself to preserving his family’s history. Between 2000 and 2006, he donated the Hong family papers to the Huntington; he died of cancer in 2006.

Y.C. practiced immigration law from 1927 until his death on November 8, 1977. For 50 years the Chinese came to him for help and he responded with grace. He advocated for his people to gain acceptance into society and achieve economic stability. Any one of his countrymen who had lived through the exclusion era knew his name.

Circumstances beyond Y.C.’s control made him physically small and seemingly insignificant. But his unforgettable life and many accomplishments prove him to be extraordinary writ large.              

Mayfield Senior School Empowers Young Women

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Originally published on 19 November in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

Enter the gates of Mayfield Senior School of the Holy Child Jesus, and you will understand why it’s a highly sought-out institution among hundreds of girls. It is a quiet, peaceful setting, away from the chaos and noise of the city, where young minds can focus unencumbered. A former grand residence near Pasadena’s Millionaires’ Row (Orange Grove Blvd.), it is now home to about 330 students who learn as much about academics as service to each other and the community.

Kate Morin, who became Mayfield’s Head of School this year, puts much emphasis on this esteemed institution’s motto “Actions Not Words”. She states, “The mission of the school is to find and seek the divine in each of us; when we believe that there is a higher power within us, it informs our actions. It’s about sisterhood and compassion – taking care of each other.”

As she recalls the first time she visited the school a year ago, Morin says “When I first stepped on campus I felt as if I’ve come home – this is where I’m being called to be in and it’s  wonderful that they agreed too. It was such a blessing because I knew this was the right place for me.”

Three months into her stewardship, Morin’s presentiment has deepened and she voices this observation, “The school is living its mission of where girls could find themselves .. .with lots of support from their teachers, the administration, and each other. My first impression has been reinforced as I spent more time here.”

College counselors, Abigail Shaw and Lori Holtrust, wholeheartedly agree with Morin’s assertion about the support Mayfield offers its students. As Holtrust puts it, “The teacher/student relationship is a beautiful thing to witness. We pride ourselves in creating relationships with each individual student.”

Shaw and Holtrust exemplify Mayfield’s commitment to advancing their charges’ best interest.  They have a markedly different approach to college counseling, apart from all other schools’ method. They work in tandem – every student gets to meet both counselors.

The college application process starts in earnest in 11th grade, according to Shaw. “The girls are ready to step into the world of college admissions and they have a Junior College Night where all parents come. We meet with each junior individually, with her parents; we offer two college tours – one on the east coast and another on the west coast.”

“In junior year the goal is for students to ask themselves what they’re looking for in a college, and do some serious self-reflection,” continues Shaw. “We support them in asking questions, helping them find the qualities they’re looking for. The discernment is the beginning of the college application process.”   

Morin points out, when girls first arrive on campus, they’re still little 13- and 14-year olds. “We don’t talk about college early on; we want them to be in the moment of high school. We first make sure we create a healthy balance and a mindfulness. When the time comes, we’ll work with them step by step, line by line, as our foundress Cornelia Connelly taught us.”

“The joy of our job is looking at what they think they want, and seeing where they end up in,” Shaw chimes in. “Sometimes where they end up isn’t what they started out with.” 

This seeming disparity is evident even in the school’s diverse enrollment. Shaw illustrates this, “Twenty years ago we had a duchess from Portugal and a girl from South Central L.A. who bussed herself here. We pull from all walks of life, we have breadth in our community, and our students get exposed to a global society.”

Service is integral to The Society of the Holy Child Jesus’ teaching. Mayfield students live the motto ‘Actions Not Words’ by volunteering their time throughout their four years on campus. They perform a certain number of service hours as part of their ministry and every student participates in a beloved annual tradition known as Cornelia Connelly Day (Annual Service Day). Morin says this year they went to 34 sites in Los Angeles and Pasadena to work with the developmentally disabled, at the Downton Mission, and other such organizations.

These experiences leave a lasting impression on these young women as they set about starting non-profit service clubs aimed at helping the less fortunate. The embodiment of the school’s mission informs the choices Mayfield students make as they think about college.      

In the same vein, a spirit of mindfulness applies as they go through the self-reflection process and keep all their options open. Holtrust says, “Two years ago, 68 seniors went on to attend 58 colleges and universities – a very broad spectrum.”

But the one common quality every student will take with her as she leaves Mayfield is her sense of empowerment. Morin confidently pronounces, “Each of them is armed with the knowledge that she is a powerful agent of change for the good, who has the wisdom to know how to use her skills to make the world a better place.” 

Fabulous Fashion Exhibit at the Pasadena Museum of History

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Originally published on 12 November 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

A Beach Boys song famously claims “… the little old lady from Pasadena drives real fast and real hard … and is the terror of Colorado Blvd.” But as the Fabulous Fashion Exhibit, currently going at the Pasadena Museum of History (PMH), beautifully depicts, she is also a woman of impeccable sartorial taste.

The Fabulous Fashion Exhibit features clothes and accessories worn by Pasadena’s well-dressed women from the 1890s, the 1920s and the 1950s. As the show organizers describe them, these three decades were known (respectively) as times of wealth and luxury, flamboyance and decadence, and prosperity and consumerism.

As Dr. Elizabeth Smalley, PMH trustee and Collections Committee Chair, explains, “The three decades being represented in our Fabulous Fashion Exhibit were chosen because they each had distinct characteristics which showed the arc of women’s fashion choices as their roles in life have evolved. In the 1890s women had to have 24 outfits to get through their day because each activity required a change of clothes – they had to dress to make a call, to receive a caller, to go to tea or the theatre or the opera, or to go to dinner.”

The Gay Nineties couture mirrored the extravagance of the Gilded Age when the affluent society enjoyed lavish lifestyles. Women changed their outfits as they went about their various pursuits – from a morning gown for breakfast, to a tailored walking costume during the day, to an elaborate ball gown for evening. Several yards of fabric were required to make these apparels that oftentimes weighed a hefty 37 pounds.   

Clothes in the 1890s were accessorized with delicate, intricately constructed objects. Women carried parasols to protect their complexions from the sun. They waved their ostrich-feathered fans as much to revive them from the vapors as to communicate their interest in a gentleman. They always wore gloves, hats, and stockings on public occasions; large, bejeweled hair combs or tiaras complemented their ball gowns; small bags held money, opera glasses and a fan.

“Then the 1920s ushered in the age of independence for women when they earned the right to vote,” Smalley says. “They eschewed the social constraints of the past, some of them joined the workplace, and their clothes reflected that looseness and freedom.”

The Roaring Twenties was a time of exuberance when women dressed comfortably, bobbed their hair and wore make up. They were celebrating their emancipation from the chores that shackled them to their homes – they took on jobs alongside the men. Coco Chanel defined the look that characterized this era – sporty, boyish and youthful.  Side swags, floating panels and drapes, asymmetrical hemlines, intricate hand-beading, and Art Deco designs were all the rage.   

Accessories in the 1920s featured exotic materials and rich pattern. Daytime wear included a leather clutch with matching shoes; evening attires came with a small velvet purse or beaded bag that held lipstick, a few coins, a handkerchief and a house key. Women wore long strands of beads and pearls to break up the bodice line and accentuate the dropped waistline. They ornamented their hair with a cloche hat, or a glittering hair clip at night.  Rhinestone-embellished shoes became the focal point of women’s dressing as hemlines rose higher.

When the 1950s came around, men returned from the war and women reverted to their previous role as homemakers. According to Smalley, “women became conformists once again and their clothes looked more structured. It’s quite fascinating to see the changes in their roles and how their apparel reflected those.”

The Rockin’ Fifties, as the exhibit refers to the Eisenhower years, were ruled by conformity and conservatism once more. The ultra-feminine style became fashionable again as women revived their duty as the perfect wife. Christian Dior reimagined the hourglass silhouette with a well-fitted bodice, a wasp waist, and a capacious skirt. As in the 1890s, confining undergarments were essential to this ‘New Look’. The slimmer, looser sheath dress became the trend later in the decade but still relied on hidden reinforcements of corsetry, girdles, and garters. At the same time, women had to be pencil-thin, corseted, coiffured and perfectly accessorized.   

During the 1950s, outfits were flawlessly matched and synchronized: gloves, stockings, coordinating hat, shoes and handbag were de rigueur. Women wore jewelry – costume or real – to complete their look. Stylish women wore rhinestone brooches pinned to their suit collar or dress and they carried large purses made of crocodile, snake, lucite, or bamboo.    

Each show presented by PMH goes through a complicated and lengthy process. Jeannette Bovard, PMH media consultant, asserts “We brainstorm about what’s interesting, what’s relevant, and what’s coming up. Pasadena isn’t a bubble – world events affect us and we sort of affect world events. It is a small town with national significance as evidenced by all our exhibits.”

“For example, our past display was about the Civil War,” Bovard elucidates further. “PMH, as well as several other cultural institutions, mounted events celebrating its sesquicentennial anniversary. Along this vein, our Fabulous Fashion Exhibit showcases fashion trends in Pasadena that followed the rest of the country.”  

Many women in Pasadena held important roles as wives of prominent industrialists, businessmen, and politicians during the periods covered by the exhibit. These ladies, alongside  their husbands, put on important events as befitted their standing in the community.

Smalley illustrates, “One of the clothes being featured is a cocktail dress that belonged to Leonora Paloheimo, granddaughter of Eva Fenyes (who, with her husband, Adalbert, built the Fenyes Mansion that houses the Pasadena Museum of History). Leonora was the wife of the Finnish Consul, Yrjo Paloheimo, so she would have worn this to parties and benefits, or to events she hosted.”

Besides showing the public its wonderful collection of clothing and objects is a far broader reason for holding this exhibit. As Bovard pronounces, “Everything that happens in the nation has somehow come through and been processed through Pasadena. And when we display what women wore during the three decades we are focusing on, we want to show that while these were worn by the ladies in Pasadena, these clothes did not originate here – they may have come from New York or Paris. We were fashionable … we still are.”

Except for a 1950s shirt dress, which organizers had to purchase expressly for this event, all  clothes and accessories in the Fabulous Fashion Exhibit are the property of PMH. They have been donated through the years by various benefactors and the Collection Committee ensures that each piece of clothing has a Pasadena provenance. One of the items being highlighted in the show is a breathtaking purple evening dress created by notable French designer and perfumer, Jean Patou. It is on loan from long-time local resident Susan McManigal, whose family owns the French Hand Laundry and Dry Cleaning on South Lake. 

Pasadena is a small town rich in charm and tradition, with old values that are deeply embedded in its people. Yet it is a city with diverse institutions typically found in large urban areas.  Indeed, Pasadena is home to Caltech, Art Center College of Design, Fuller Theological Seminary, Rose Bowl, Tournament of Roses, Gamble House, Norton Simon Museum, USC Pacific Asia Museum, The Pasadena Playhouse, and a host of other nationally recognized foundations. 

PMH joins a select group of cultural centers – it is a multifaceted entity that catalogs, documents and preserves vast holdings of different artifacts and objects. It then shares them with the public to educate, entertain, and connect to important events of universal significance.  The Fabulous Fashion Exhibit is one way to showcase the treasures the city has to offer while informing people about Pasadena Museum of History’s function. As to the little lady from Pasadena …. As to the little lady from Pasadena …. Well, surely everyone knows by now what she really is – tres chic!

Geoff Elliott Directs a Powerful ‘All My Sons’

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 5 November 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

Geoff Elliott, co-artistic director (with his wife, Julia Rodriguez-Elliott) of famed Pasadena repertory company A Noise Within (ANW), and solo-directing this time, claims he is an actor first. This is most assuredly evident when you watch him on stage as he embodies the complex character, Joe Keller, paterfamilias in this 1947 Arthur Miller play, All My Sons.

Beacon’s Nathaniel Cayanan, in his review of ANW’s production, says, “Throughout the play, we’re put on a roller-coaster in which we’re at one point laughing at the liveliness and charm of Joe Keller, skillfully played by … Geoff Elliott, but at another point instantly entranced by the intense conflict boiling beneath the surface….”   

That Elliott is acting on stage while steering the course of the play is what makes his performance extraordinarily masterful.  He has wonderfully balanced his dual job of breathing life into Miller’s embattled Joe Keller and extracting the best work from his cast of talented actors.

As Elliott describes it, “…for actors, it’s very much about me and you, the two of us in the scene and what’s happening between us. The director, on the other hand, has a global perspective – he is thinking about the performances, and all other aspects of the production like the lighting, the sound, the set, the costumes.”

“Acting and directing are two very different experiences. But while the processes actors and directors go through are vastly different,” Elliott opines, “I think it’s healthy for all directors to have been actors at one point in their life, or at least to have trained because it’s really hard to know how vulnerable an actor is until you’ve done it yourself. I personally often find that there’s something missing when directors who have never acted try to articulate what it is they want to happen.”

Continues Elliott, “All actors bring something you’re not thinking of when you’re visualizing it.  It is when you get in the room with other artists that you begin to understand the play and where it needs to go. You have so many bright ideas before you go into the rehearsal room but you get in there and so much of what goes on is informed by those actors and what they’re bringing to it.  If you cast a production well you can trust they’re going to bring some really exciting stuff. I think a good director really pays attention to what the other artists are doing and helps them move along in that direction. You’re enlivened by the choices they’re making and that can make you think of something that enhances the play.”  

It is quite obvious then that Elliott has collaborated well with all the performers in ANW’s production of All My Sons. His passion for the play and his directorial choices made it a very realistic representation of life. As Cayanan further says in his review, “… However complex, this plot could have very easily been an overly melodramatic interpretation, but instead the play is well handled by a creative team that adeptly presents a very real and raw story of an American family of yesterday (and even today).”

Image of A Noise Within’s lobby taken from ANW website

All My Sons, Arthur Miller’s Tony Award-winning first hit play is the third offering in ANW’s 2015-2016 ‘Breaking and Entering’ season. Other cast members include Deborah Strang As Kate Keller, Rafael Goldstein as Chris Keller, Maegan McConnell as Ann Deever, Aaron Blakely as George Deever, Jeremy Rabb as Jim Bayliss, June Carryol as Sue Bayliss, E.K. Dangerfield as Frank Lubey, Natalie Reiko as Lydia Lubey, and Vega Pierce-English as Bert. The show opened on October 17, which was to have been Arthur Miller’s 100th birthday, and goes on stage through Saturday, November 21 with both a 2:00 pm matinee and evening performance at 8:00 pm.   

Asked if their iteration of this play is an homage to the late great playwright,  Elliott responds, “It may probably end up being such although I don’t know that we necessarily had that in mind.  But the greater reason for doing it is because of the fact that it’s an extraordinary masterpiece, and it’s so timely. This play could have been written yesterday. It will always be as timely as when he wrote it in 1947 – it’s true now as it was then.”  

Elliott elaborates on the play’s plot and his approach to it, “This play is about young love, and deep familial love. These are people who will sacrifice anything and everything to take care of their family and the ones who are precious to them. In the same vein, this is very much an ensemble piece, one that’s driven by performance, and it couldn’t be delivered without a magnificent company of actors, many of whom have been together for 20 years. This is among the most personally meaningful plays I have ever directed, and All My Sons is a wonderful introduction both to Arthur Miller and the work we do here at A Noise Within.”

“I hope people see themselves as they watch the play and understand that this is happening today. Decisions that hurt people are being made every day in America’s board rooms,”  Elliott concludes. He hopes people take home with them a lesson that Arthur Miller wanted to get through – past actions can come back to haunt us.

Under Elliott’s accomplished direction, A Noise Within’s All My Sons has created a memorable and soaring tribute to Arthur Miller’s legacy as a foremost American playwright. Elliott is proud of what they have produced and he hopes it proves to be an unforgettable theatre experience for many.  

My Masterpieces Series: USC Pacific Asia Museum

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The koi pond and garden at USC Pacific Asia Museum | Photo by May S. Ruiz

Originally published on 22 October 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

Ensconced in a nondescript corner on North Los Robles Avenue and Union Street in Pasadena is a foundation that holds some of the most valuable treasures in Asian artifacts. It’s the USC Pacific Asia Museum, which used to house the Pasadena Art Museum, and then became Pacific Asia Museum in 1971. In 2013, University of Southern California (USC) partnered with the institution to become a vital resource for education and cultural heritage.

Enter its handsome arched entrance, however, and you will be transported to another place and time. The transformation is so unexpected it’s breathtaking. The charming courtyard garden with a koi pond, rock sculpture, and natural plantings reflecting the changing seasons, take center stage while a Chinese Qing dynasty-inspired mansion wraps around it. The Pasadena architectural firm of Marston Van Pelt and Maybury built it as a grand residence in 1924 to exact specifications from California transplant, Grace Nicholson, a pioneering art collector and entrepreneur from Philadelphia.

This historic home also became the center for the arts in Pasadena and was host to several cultural organizations. The first floor served as a gallery where Ms. Nicholson displayed and sold American Indian and Oriental art objects. On the second floor were more galleries, an exhibition auditorium, and Ms. Nicholson’s private quarters. 

Today it is the foremost exhibitor of Asian art collections in Southern California. It is also the destination for Pasadena 6th graders’ My Masterpieces field trip where specially-trained docents conduct tours and hold workshops. 

Michael Fritzen, Head of Education and Public Program for USC Pacific Asia Museum, who took over this post five months ago, is ably assisted by Program Specialist, Becky Sun, in planning an interactive and hands-on two-hour visit. He says, “Our My Masterpieces Program for the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD)/Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) is focused on the inquiry method. Students are asked questions about the pieces they see; they aren’t just dragged through the museum and told massive amounts of facts. They stop, look and reflect about a particular artifact. Aligned with the state Common Core standards, this visit is aimed at enhancing students’ classroom discussions in their World History course. We ensure that what they see and experience add depth to their understanding of the world, and of Asia, in particular.”

This tour is designed to lead 6th graders along the Silk Road. It moves through the collection, spotlights certain artifacts, and ultimately fashions a coherent historical fabric woven from threads that connect all the different countries in Asia – Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam – as students travel on the Silk Road. 

Grace Nicholson’s previous residence now houses USC Pacific Asia Museum

According to Sun the tour is divided into two parts. While one docent tours a group of students, another docent involves the students in a hands-on workshop. She says, “Our workshops are taught by Asian experts in different fields including calligraphy, brush painting, origami.”

Fritzen adds, “We provide authentic materials for students to employ during the workshop. If they’re working on calligraphy, for instance, they are using brushes, ink blocks, and rice paper made specifically for that art form. The work they produce will match what they see in the museum – it will have the look, smell, and texture of the original art. The art activity makes what they see in the gallery come to life and gives them a better understanding of what the artist went through to make the product. We try to create an experience that cannot be replicated in the classroom so that they leave with lasting memories of their visit.”

“My Masterpieces introduces Asian art and culture to kids from all over Pasadena who have never had occasion to visit the museum; it helps them understand why a particular tapestry or sculpture is unique and preservable,” continues Fritzen. “We hope that the visit inspires enthusiasm and passion in young people so that they later become visitors, members, donors, and collectors of art. The field trip includes a family pass for six people. That students actually redeem those passes proves that it makes a deep impression to them.”

Through their programs and events, USC Pacific Asia Museum follows its mission and vision unique to the museum – to further intercultural understanding through the arts of Asia and the Pacific Islands.

According to Fritzen, the museum recently featured a Harvest Moon Festival which showed how this is celebrated not only in China, but also in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The institution endeavors to showcase countries which are not usually at the forefront because they don’t have enough representation. 

With that in mind, USC Pacific Asia Museum will host in December a show featuring the art and culture of the Philippines. It may be the first time others will learn about this group of islands in the Pacific beyond the nightly news report of the country being in dire need of assistance, after being hit by devastating typhoons . Maybe it will help engender public interest in the countless natural wonders unique to the Philippines – beautiful coastlines, white sandy beaches, majestic mountains, lush countryside, exotic foods, and warm people.

If USC Pacific Asia Museum were to enlighten even just one mind about the abundant treasures to be found across the vast Pacific Ocean, it would have served the purpose it has set out for itself. 

My Masterpieces Series: Pasadena Museum of History

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Originally published on 15 October 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

Brad Macneil, Education Program Coordinator at the Pasadena Museum of History (PMH), is readying once more for this year’s My Masterpieces Program. Every Tuesday and Thursday, beginning this month until the end of the school year, he and his team of volunteers will be welcoming 4th graders from all the public schools in Pasadena for a two-hour art class and activity at the Fenyes Mansion. 

According to Mr. Macneil, this program originated from a pilot test collaboration among the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD), Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) and different cultural institutions, with input from teachers. He says, “It was important that we involved the teachers. We made sure they felt it was their program too so we asked them to write the curriculum for it.”

For My Masterpieces, PMH provides students and teachers with the Museum publication Painting the Beautiful as background material for their visit.Students also complete a lesson in class to prepare them for the field trip and learn some basics in art education. During their visit, they learn about the mansion and other members of the family, and explore what life was like in the early 1900s.      

The Fenyes Mansion, which is also home to PMH, is a Beaux Arts residence built in the early 1900s as a winter home for Eva and Dr. Adalbert Fenyes. Macneil adds, “At the time Pasadena was a winter resort that attracted artists to the area because of its landscape which they painted.  They later sold these paintings to the wealthy visitors. A leader of that art community was Benjamin Brown, a famous landscape painter. He was a friend of Eva and he created some of the portraits and landscape paintings that still hang today in the mansion. Eva became a patron of Pasadena’s flourishing art colony and invited various artists to her studio or to go out into the foothills for creative material.”          

“The inspiration for the mansion field trip is Eva’s life and her love for the arts,” explains  Macneil. “Each visiting class is divided into three groups – art critics, artists, film makers – that   rotate to do different 30-minute activities led by a PMH volunteer. The art critics take a tour of the mansion and look at Eva’s art collection which they have seen in the book Painting the Beautiful. Using art terms and vocabulary, students discuss what they like or don’t like about a painting. They talk about the techniques the artist used to get certain effects.”

Macneil continues, “The artists head outside to the fountain, which has been depicted in painting by a well-known artist named Richard Miller. Volunteers give students a brief instruction: their task is to capture the spirit of the fountain as best they could using the pencil and pad they are provided. It’s very surprising how 4th graders can quietly concentrate on their sketches during the entire 30 minutes.  And more amazing is what they come up with!”

The Fenyes Mansion

The film makers go out in the garden. Macneil says, “Eva was not only interested in the arts, she was also fascinated by the technology involved in moving pictures. So for our film makers, we pick the actors, camera person, and director who will take part in creating a silent movie called A Thief in the Park. They learn not only techniques in movie-making, but more importantly, the value of collaboration. Teachers have great fun taking photos of the finished students’ work on their Smart Phones to show later in class. It’s probably the most popular thing we do – it’s exhausting and it needs several volunteers.”

PMH serves 3,000 4th grade students a year in the My Masterpieces program, using funds raised by the Paloheimo Foundation. But the organization could use more volunteers to help keep it running. Volunteers can be college-age or older and will lead tours Tuesday through Friday.  Anyone who has patience, enthusiasm, a sense of humor, and is interested in volunteering can call PMH at (626) 577-1660.

According to Jennifer Olson, District Arts Education Coordinator for PUSD, My Masterpieces started during the 2008-2009 school year. It began serving only four schools, then expanded by four to five schools annually until eventually all of Pasadena’s 18 schools became part of it. It aims not only to provide arts education and a cultural experience for all children, but also to help them feel at home at any of the arts organizations in their community. They found that so many students in the Pasadena Unified don’t usually go to museums with their families because there are too many barriers including cost and transportation. This program removes those impediments and invites all Pasadena families to experience the arts in their community.

A class visit to the Fenyes Mansion leaves a truly lasting impression in the minds of young students. According to Macneil, several of PMH’s Junior Docents (7th and 8th graders in Pasadena public and private schools giving tours to 3rd graders in the PUSD) first saw the mansion during their My Masterpieces Program visit in 4th grade. And it was what encouraged them to later become Junior Docents.

The Pasadena Museum of History’s motto is ‘History Matters.  Help us Pass it On’. The My Masterpieces program breathes life into that adage.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on Tour at The Huntington

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Shakespeare Globe Theatre, England (UK)

Originally published on 29 October 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

Residents of the San Gabriel Valley will be in for a rare treat next week when London’s acclaimed Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on Tour wends its way to Southern California to stage Much Ado About Nothing. For two nights in November, the 9th and the 10th, The Huntington will be the venue for this much-anticipated production.

Dominic Dromgoole, Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe, has this to say, “I am delighted that Shakespeare’s Globe continues to extend its reach across the world through our epic touring programme. Our beautiful and fast-paced production of Much Ado About Nothing, having toured theatres and gardens in the UK over the summer, will be making its way to South America before touring to The Huntington in November. We have had a long-standing relationship with the Folger Shakespeare Library (in Washington, D.C.) where we have successfully toured our plays in the past, and consequently thought The Huntington would be a similarly natural fit.”

According to Lisa Blackburn, Communications Coordinator/Calendar Editor at The Huntington (Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens), the Library’s depth of collection makes this San Marino, California institution one of the leading centers of Shakespeare scholarship. It rivals what is available at the British Library in London, The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., and the Newbury Library in Chicago.

The Huntington’s vast holdings include a rare 1623 “First Folio” edition of Shakespeare’s collected plays. Published seven years after the Bard’s death, it contains 36 plays, 18 of them printed for the first time. The Huntington also has numerous early quarto of individual plays, including one of only two surviving copies of the first edition of Hamlet (1603); rare 16th– and 17th-century works documenting life in Shakespeare’s world; materials relating to early theatre – including playbills promoting performances at London’s Drury Lane Theatre, engravings of famous Shakespearean actors of the day such as David Garrick and Sarah Siddons, and prints depicting dramatic scenes from many Shakespeare plays.

Educational and cultural programming – from lectures and conferences, to teacher training workshops, to professional theatrical performances – are frequently on offer at The Huntington.  It also works with schools on Shakespeare-related programs, as it did this past spring when The Huntington collaborated with Esteban E. Flores High School in East Los Angeles on a students’ production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which they performed for family and friends.

Other recent Shakespeare programs held at The Huntington include a production by the Independent Shakespeare Company, on the 6th of June 2015, of a rarely performed romance Pericles, Prince of Tyre.

Blackburn also says The Huntington has just successfully concluded a college-level seminar  in anticipation of the 400th anniversary of The Bard’s death. Heidi Brayman Hackel, associate professor of English at UC Riverside who specializes in the literature and culture of early modern England (1500-1700), conducted this course. It paid particular attention to Shakespeare’s late plays – The Winter’s tale, The Tempest, and Henry VIII – examining them as meditations on and farewells to the public stage and public life as well.  

At an April 2015 scholarly conference on “Rethinking Shakespeare in the Social Depth of Politics”, social historians and literary critics repositioned his works in the culture wars of the period to reassess his presentation of power and authority in his works.

In May, actors from the Independent Shakespeare Company and artists from LA Opera presented “Shakespeare Scenes and Sonnets: An Evening of Words and Music”. With 18th century Grand Manner Portraits in the art gallery serving as backdrop, they performed scenes, sonnets, and songs that explore connections between the works of Shakespeare and The Huntington’s art collections.

And this summer, as in summers past, The Huntington once more hosted its Shakespeare at The Huntington teacher training institute. A unique two-week workshop designed for secondary school teachers of English and Drama, it focuses on teaching Shakespeare through performance.  The course features an international faculty of scholars, educators, and theatre professionals.

Shakespeare’s Globe is a faithful reconstruction of the open-air playhouse for which he wrote his plays.  Globe Theatre on Tour has brought productions – Henry V, Ann Boleyn, As You Like It, King Lear, and The Taming of the Shrew – to castles, festivals, parks and town squares in the past five years. This London’s Bankside charity organization operates without government funding and has since become a popular tourist destination in the United Kingdom.  

Theatre season plays in repertory held annually from April through October, under Dromgoole’s helm, have attracted an international following and reputation for performance excellence, says Blackburn. Globe Education runs one of the largest arts education program in the country under the direction of Patrick Spottiswoode, with over 100,000 students a year. Shakespeare’s Globe Tour and Exhibition is open year-round and is the world’s only permanent exhibition dedicated to The Bard’s theatrical career.

Much Ado About Nothing, set in Governor Leonato’s house in the Sicilian town of Messina, follows the stories of two sets of lovers – Benedick and Beatrice and Claudio and Hero.  Leonato is hosting Prince Don Pedro of Arragon, Don John, Claudio (a young Florentine lord) and Benedick (a Paduan lord and confirmed bachelor engaged in a ‘merry war’ with Leonato’s niece, Beatrice, a confirmed spinster).

Don Pedro helps Claudio win the hand of Leonato’s daughter, Hero, in marriage; the wedding of Claudio and Hero is planned after a masked wedding. Don John is determined to break up this union and, knowing that the Prince and Claudio are listening, schemes to exchange vows with Hero’s gentlewoman , dressed in her mistress’s clothes, at Hero’s bedroom window.

At the same time, Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato conspire to make the feuding Benedick and Beatrice fall in love with each other.

Before Hero’s and Claudio’s wedding, Don John offers to give the prince and Claudio proof of Hero’s unfaithfulness. Claudio denounces Hero in the middle of the ceremony even as she proclaims her innocence. Friar Francis, not believing the charge, proposes that Hero should be reported dead and hidden until the truth is revealed.

The confusion is resolved in the final act, and a penitent Claudio ends up marrying Hero after all.  Beatrice and Benedick resolve their “merry war”; news comes that Don John has been captured and brought to justice.

Much Ado About Nothing, written between 1598 and early 1599, was made into a film in 1993 with Kenneth Branagh playing Benedick, and Emma Thompson as Beatrice; and was directed by Branagh.  Known as one of Shakespeare’s liveliest comedies, it was exceedingly popular in early years – it was one of the plays acted at Court during the May 1613 festivities for the betrothal and marriage of Princess Elizabeth and the Elector Palatine.

It will once more engage Southern Californians as Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing makes its two-night run at The Huntington. Almost four hundred years after his death, Shakespeare continues to delight audiences with his plays that still ring true today as they did when they were first performed.