Much Ado About Nothing
Graphics by Emma Novy
Much Ado About Nothing is about two couples named Claudio & Hero and Benedick & Beatrice, who navigate love and deception. A malicious plot leads Claudio to publicly shame Hero, who then fakes her death, but ultimately, the truth emerges, and all four characters find happiness.
Much Ado About Nothing is also filled with drama, silliness, many twists and turns, and a happy ending. Additionally, it has a plot centered on themes of love deception and misunderstanding; it is a must-see for anyone who likes shows filled with drama and silliness Everyone is encouraged to take a break from their stressful finals to watch fellow students present Shakespeare’s lighthearted exploration of unintentional chaos and the infinite power of love. Because the show is coming up, here is an interview with Emily Refici (who plays Dogberry and Margaret in the production), Allie Myers (who plays Leonato in the production), Maggie Armstrong (who plays Hero and Conrade in the production), and Riley Sottile (who plays Don Pedro in the production).
Why do you think Shakespeare connects with audiences after so many years? Emily Refici explained that, “Even centuries later, in contemporary media, we recognize these patterns of love, jealousy, pride, confusion, and miscommunication in ourselves and the people around us. Shakespeare's themes and characters feel like people we still know today, and that's what makes his work so well-renowned and timeless. “
What themes from the play feel especially relevant today? Allie Myers said that, “miscommunication, class, and power are all themes that feel relevant to our current world. The women in the play—Margaret, Hero, and even Beatrice to an extent—are constantly at the mercy of systems that don’t value their voices. Margaret is pulled into a scandal because she’s lower-status and easy to ignore, and Hero is publicly humiliated based on assumptions made by men who never think to ask her what really happened. On the other side, the men—Dogberry, Don Pedro, even Claudio—either hold power they aren’t qualified to use or abuse the authority they have. Dogberry fumbles through justice, Don Pedro plays puppet master for his own amusement, and Claudio gets to be cruel without real consequences. The play reveals how broken power dynamics allow women to be punished while incompetent or careless men are protected—especially within gendered systems that continue to fail the people most affected by them.”
Was Shakespeare’s language a challenge? How did you make it feel natural? Maggie Armstrong explains that, “Shakespeare’s language was a bit of a challenge, but I feel like the more we were able to discuss, the better I understood it. We made it feel natural by rephrasing the lines in language we understood and relating the situations to our own lives and references.”
How do you ensure the audience understands the story despite the old language? Riley Sottile highlights, “The scene breakdowns in the playbill are definitely really important. Obviously we want the audience to understand the words we say, but it’s also important to understand it gets difficult to keep track of after a while. The scene breakdown makes sure our audience knows exactly what’s going on in each scene.”
Date & Time: may 5th at 7:00pm
Location: community folk art center
Ticket Cost: tickets are free
Length of Performance: 2 hours