Much Ado About Nothing

by William Shakespeare

directed by Bruce De Les Dernier

Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy with contrast: The wars are over, the heroes return in peace to friendly lands, and the stage is set for celebration, love and laughter: Or is it? For Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon, nothing would please him more than setting all to rights, and seeing two of his young vassals married to the daughter and niece of his friend the Governor of Messina. One match seems sure: the dashing Claudio is in love with Hero. But the other pair Benedick and Beatrice pose a much bigger problem: Their pride and wit, it would seem, might overshadow their feelings for one another. Their hilarious duels of words would make even Petruchio and Kate of Taming of the Shrew pause to watch and take notes.

While friends contrive to bring the wrangling pair together, plots of another, darker kind are laid. Although forgiven by Don Pedro for his rebellion in the recent wars, the wicked Don John is determined to create havoc amongst the merriment.He hatches a plot to discredit fair Hero's reputation in the eyes of her true love, Claudio. What follows is a tale of high humor, and how virtues always triumph over vice.

Historical Notes:
Considered one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies of the middle period of plays, Much Ado has many remarkable passages. The comedic aspects of the play are all pure Shakespeare at his creative best. The darker elements have sometimes been attributed to an older story Ariodonte and Ginevra from Ariosto's epic Orlando Furioso. In that story, a woman is accused of unfaithfulness, and her reputation sullied by a jealous rival. The story was known to have been produced in Elizabethan England. Shakespeare's clownish characters of Dogberry and Verges are also his own creation. First performed about 1599.