What happens when two side characters from ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ get their own show?
Introducing ‘Dogberry and Verges Are Scared‘ — a fast-paced, smart and heartfelt buddy comedy that’s filled with nods to Shakespeare’s other works while keeping things hilarious and enjoyable, even if you aren’t a fan of The Bard. The play follows these two inept clowns who somehow land jobs as constables of the watch for the Governor of Messina on the eve of his daughter’s wedding. Are they qualified? Of course not!
After workshopping ‘Dogberry and Verges Are Scared’ with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, the creative team brings this world premiere to the Philadelphia Fringe Festival from Sept. 5-14, at the Christ Church Neighborhood House. Metro caught up with writers Michael Doherty and Will Mobley to talk about the show’s journey, their favorite comedic inspirations, and why this goofy play means so much to them.
How did Dogberry and Verges go from side characters in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ to the stars of their own absurd adventure?
Mobley: Mike and I played Dogberry and Verges in a production of ‘Much Ado’ at Milwaukee Rep. The backstage goofs really took on a life of their own and grew to ridiculous proportions — much to the enjoyment of our castmates. It was the first show Mike and I had ever done together and our comedic chemistry felt undeniable. We knew we wanted to create something together and after pitching several ideas, this one seemed the most exciting.
It’s a sort of love letter to Shakespeare, to buddy comedies, to clowning. Underneath all of the bits, gags, jokes, and wordplay, there is a lot of heart and a really touching story about friendship and forgiveness. It’s a nice play. A kind play. And there was something about that that felt important.
Can you talk a bit about the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and the journey of bringing this show to Philadelphia Fringe Festival?
Doherty: We did a few informal readings over the last couple years with some very generous actor friends to help develop the piece. The only theatre company to have put together a proper workshop of it was Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
I met Brian [Phillips, Producing Artistic Director at CSC] a few years back when I was working at Utah Shakes and we got along right away. When Will and I were considering putting our play into the Fringe circuit, I reached out to Brian to see if CSC wanted to be a part of the world premiere, and we were so grateful he said yes. It’s been a fun collaboration, and as the creative team has assembled, it’s only proven to be an even more promising production.
Mobley: At our first design presentation I was like, “Oh my God, all of these incredibly smart and talented people have given so much thought to this very silly play. What have we done?!” The whole team in Cincinnati has done incredible work on this show. I can’t wait for people to see it.
There are plenty of easter eggs in this show for Shakespeare fans to discover. Can you give any hints or maybe a favorite play that you reference?
Mobley: For the Shakespeare aficionados there are several direct quotes from other plays that we put in, but that are slightly recontextualized for our play. A few of them are “blink and you’ll miss it”, but some of them are unmistakable. We also play with and comment on several Shakespearean tropes. Little things that, to us as Shakespeare actors, always felt either a little odd or funny.
Doherty: It’s designed to be enjoyed by all, even if you find Shakespeare totally inaccessible and don’t know anything about ‘Much Ado About Nothing’. At the same time, if you do know ‘Much Ado’, ‘Hamlet’, “the Scottish play”, ‘Twelfth Night…,’ then get ready for some in-jokes.
Were there any buddy comedies in film, TV, or theatre that influenced your writing or helped shape these characters?
Doherty: I’d be lying if I said ‘Dumb and Dumber’ wasn’t a huge influence. It’s an homage to Tom Stoppard’s ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’, which is an homage to Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’, which is an homage to vaudeville. If you enjoy ‘Laurel and Hardy’, ‘Abbot and Costello’, or ‘The Three Stooges’, you’ll love this. But also it has a very modern edge; if you like ‘Middleditch and Schwartz’ or ‘Oh, Hello’, this will very much align with your brand of comedy.
Mobley: We draw from a lot of different comedic styles. It’s a real melting pot in there. During a workshop recently, I really felt like one of the actors was channeling Tim Robinson, who is one of my favorite comedians right now. I had this moment of, like, what if Tim Robinson did Shakespeare? It would look like this. High brow, low brow…all of the brows. There’s something for everyone.
How does ‘Dogberry and Verges Are Scared’ fit into the spirit of the Philly Fringe Festival? Why do you hope audiences see this show?
Doherty: Five words- Scott Greer and Tony Lawton. When I was going to college in Philly — RIP UArts — I was obsessed with these guys. I’m pinching myself that they’re actually a part of this. This marks their 25th show together, and it shows in their chemistry. They’re genius clowns who know how to bring the pathos. It also marks my first collaboration in a while with my old pal [director] Matthew Decker, who’s been busy penning the book for Broadway’s ‘La La Land the Musical’. Matt is at the top of his game, and the way he’s been collaborating with our stellar design team from Philly and Cincy has been impressive to watch.
Also, given the nature of the co-production, it gives Cincy audiences access to Philly actors and vice versa. Our three Cincinnati actors — Courtney Lucien, Elizabeth Chinn Malloy, and Jeremy Dubin — are incredibly gifted performers, and kind, hilarious people to boot. My buddy and Broadway’s own Robi Hager gets to debut a role that I’m particularly fond of, and I can’t wait to share it with our audiences.
Mobley: There’s also this element of… you know, Mike and I wrote a play and we wanted to see it in the world, we wanted to share it with people, and that’s what we’re doing. We’ve partnered with an amazing group of people at Cincy Shakes and we are both doing things as producers that we’ve never done before and pushing ourselves to create this thing. That’s what any fringe festival is all about, right?
All of these people come together because they believe in something, whether it’s a play or an idea, and they put their collective efforts towards creating it and that special alchemy happens where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I’ll never forget the first time I heard Scott and Tony read our play. It suddenly became some other thing. It came alive. That magic. That’s what it’s all about.
‘Dogberry and Verges Are Scared’ will be on stage during the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, from Sept. 5-14, at the Christ Church Neighborhood House. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at phillyfringe.org. For more information, visit dogberryandvergesarescared.com or follow on Instagram @dogberryandvergesarescared
