Much Ado About Nothing (1997)
Performance Dates
June 27, 29, July 11, 13, 19, 27, August 2, 8, 1997
8:30 pm curtain
Place & Time
Scene: Messina
Time: 1801
Cast
| Leonato's Household | |
| Leonato, governor of Messina | Blair Leatherwood |
| Antonino, his brother | Cary Anderson |
| Hero, Leonato's only daughter | Jessica Chastain |
| Beatrice, an orphan, Leonato's niece | Polly Harrison |
| Margaret, gentlewoman attending on Hero | Samantha Ostermiller |
| Ursula, gentlewoman attending on Hero | Hannah M. Duch |
| Friar Francis | Matthew Gallagher |
| Messenger | James Cameron McKellips |
| The Military | |
| Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon | Brian Alyea |
| Don John, his bastard brother | Thomas Bach |
| Count Claudio of Florence | John Lamb |
| Signor Benedick of Padua | Brian Rivera |
| Borachio, follower of Don John | Kevin Menager |
| Conrade, follower of Don John | Jay Charlesworth |
| Balthasar, a singer | Nick McGee |
| Boy, servant to Benedick | Richard Bradley |
| The Town | |
| Dogberry, Constable of Messina | Ken Koch |
| Verges, Deputy Constable | Stephen Vargo |
| Sexton/Francis Scacoal | Anthony Scoggins |
| George Scacoal | Ben Hanowell |
| Hugh Oatcake | Aaron Alexander |
| The Ensemble | Sabrina Burt |
| Regan Carrington | |
| Sarah Ekstrom | |
| John Gorney | |
| Lara E. Nall | |
| Peter Playdon | |
| Jeffrey Sapp | |
| Jessical Sheffield | |
| Adam Wright | |
Production Staff |
|
| Director | Donna J. Sparks |
| Scenic Design | Robert W. Gore |
| Light Design | Steve Jones |
| Costume Design | Christine Cianci |
| Choreographer | Cynthia Mitterholzer |
| Assistant to the Director | Katie Cannon |
| Sound Design | Donna J. Sparks |
| Festival Director | Lars Tatom |
| Technical Director | Robert W. Gore |
| Theatre Technician | Steve Jones |
| Production Stage Manager | Michael A. Saumure |
| Assistant Stage Managers | Katie Cannon, Edgar Nash |
| Lighting Technician | Frannie Sluka |
| Sound Technician | Chris Donham |
| Properties | Robin Helmer |
| Carpenters | Zach Seeger, Eva Townshend |
| Assistant Costume Designer | Vivian Lima |
| Bootmaker | Mike McGraw |
| Stitchers | Christina Loughery, Michaela Romesburg, Erika Rugg, Joanna tulley |
| Costume Maintenance | Lenore Justman |
| Crew | John Baxter, Craig St. Clair, Gwen Collins, Damany Fisher, John Gomez-Baxter, Kim Holmes, Jared Lee, Ryan E. Smith, Pamela Vance |
| Box Office Clerk | Janine Vine |
| Park Clerk | Flora Davis |
| House Managers | Donna Andrews, Katie Martin |
| Photography | Bruce Clarke |
| Graphics Design | Frank Zamore |
| Promotions | Lars Tatom |
| Special Thanks: | Vs and Ps, Janine, Alexis Scott, Kit Kat Club, SCAT, Los Rios Forensics, MAS |
| "Sigh No More" arranged by | Nicholas McGee |
Director's Notes
Shakespeare's wittiest comedy could be MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, or its clever title may contain a pun on the subject of "noting", which is the Elizabethan English word for "eavesdropping". Thought to be written in late 1598, the main plot of MUCH ADO is the classic tale of a lover (Claudio) deceived into believing that his beloved (Hero) is unfaithful. A second plot features the courtship of the witty Beatrice and the wayward Benedick. Add to this romp the comedy of Dogberry, his sidekick Verges, and the heroic members of the Watch (who all help unravel the injustice laid forth by Don Pedro's villainous brother, Don John, and his conspirators Conrade and Borachio), and we have conflict and resolution. The backdrop is the estate setting of Governor Leonato and his household of warm and friendly relatives and guests.
If on this stage, we have entertained you this evening, then our MUCH ADO has been successful.
- Donna J. Sparks, Director