3 minute read
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
BLUEQ.COM
JULY 2 – AUGUST 14
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Kelly Galvin with Gregory Boover, Caroline Calkins, Gina Fonseca, Nigel Gore, Tamara Hickey, L. James, Madeleine Rose Maggio, Bella Merlin, Devante Owens, Naire Poole, Michael F. Toomey, and Jake Waid
One of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedic masterpieces, Much Ado About Nothing is a celebration of true love, friendship, and laughter that features some of Shakespeare’s most satisfying language. It’s a “merry war” that ensues as of Don Pedro, Count Claudio, and Benedick return from a successful battle. Beatrice sees Benedick as “the prince’s jester,” while he asks to be spared time with “Lady Tongue.” Meanwhile, Claudio finds himself falling in love with Hero, Beatrice’s cousin and daughter of their host, Leonato. Misunderstandings abound at a masquerade ball and again at a wedding, with identities shrouded and both deceit and match-making afoot. Beatrice and Benedick are each duped into believing the other is in love with them, and Claudio is deceived by a plot that suggests Hero has been unfaithful. Will courage, wit, and compassion reveal the truth of their circumstances?
Generously sponsored by Howard and Natalie Shawn.
DIRECTOR’S TAKE
As I write this, it’s spring in the Berkshires. The magnolias are just starting to bloom, and the trees have only begun unfurling their leaves. You can sense the approach of summer, when the Berkshires will burst into life, and Shakespeare & Company will welcome the actors, artists, and audiences that bring fresh energy to the theaters here on Kemble Street. It’s a time that feels full of possibility—though today it feels clouded by the anxiety, conflict, and grief that seem to grip our communities and our world. It’s an apt moment for Much Ado About Nothing. While it’s one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, it dances us right to the brink of tragedy—and then has the good nature to show us the way out. Through it, Shakespeare poses profound questions about love, family, and friendship, and gives us an account of what becomes possible when we risk being vulnerable and revealing our truest selves to the people we care about. More than ever, it strikes me that Much Ado About Nothing is the story of a community coming together to celebrate—the return home of their soldiers, the marriage of young lovers, and the arrival of a new era. But amidst their revelry, wickedness lurks, disguised, waiting for the opportunity to strike. While the future remains uncertain, fear, mistrust, and anxiety mount. Still, the characters fight for each other. They make mistakes and they make amends. Through their love for each other, they find ways to undo old hierarchies and remake their world. And through it all, they find reasons to laugh, to make music, to eat and drink, and to fall in love. I hope that in our own era of uncertainty, this play offers us a moment to celebrate. Maybe this theater, amongst the trees and under the summer sky, can serve as a haven for all of us. Together, we can share an old story made new. We can laugh together, enjoy each other’s company, and share the joy of hearing a play. In each other, we can find reasons to celebrate. — Kelly Galvin
Much Ado
ABOUT NOTHING
“Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more. Men were deceivers ever, One foot in sea, and one on shore, To one thing constant never.”
