Much Ado About Nothing (2002)
Performance Dates:
June 28, 29, July 7, 13, 19, 21, 28, August 1, 3 @ 8pm
Time and Place
1826, in an around Leonato's estate in Messina
Cast
| Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon | Tony Marchetti |
| Don John, his illegitimate brother | David Stickler |
| Claudio, a Florentine count | Paj Crank |
| Benedick, a lord of Padua | Jon Jackson |
| Conrade, a follower of Don John | Romann D. Hodge |
| Borachio, a follower of Don John | Ed Gyles, Jr. |
| Leonato, Governor of Messina | Jes Gonzales |
| Antonio, his brother | Matthew J. Barcellos |
| Dogberry, the local constable | Michael A. Samure |
| Balthasar, serving Don Pedro | Jason C. Oler |
| Soldiers, serving Don Pedro | Quarmaine M. Bogan, Kevin M. Poole |
| Friar Francis, the local priest | Jason C. Oler |
| Hugh Oatcake, watch member | Kevin M. Poole |
| George Seacole, watch member | Quarmaine M. Bogan |
| Francis Seacole, the Sexton | Matthew J. Barcellos |
| Hero, Leonato's daughter | Cheryl A. Loehr |
| Beatrice, Hero's cousin | Jenni Stephenson |
| Margaret, their gentlewoman | Sarah Jane Pierce |
| Ursula, their gentlewoman | Cheantell Nadine Munn |
| Virginia, watch member | Katie Valdivia (on 7/13: Kira Graybill) |
| Bett Bumble, watch member | Kira Graybill (on 7/13: Alaina Boys) |
| Dora, maid to Leonato | Alaina Boys |
| Prue, maid to Leonato | Stefanie Gyles |
Production Staff |
|
| Director | Kim McCann |
| Scenic Design | Dan Neeland |
| Lighting Design | Steve Jones |
| Costume Design | Nicole Sivell |
| Choreographer | Kara Jeppeson |
| Production Manager | David Harris |
| Technical Director | Dan Neeland |
| Stage Manager/Assistant to the Director | Cathleen Rudolph |
| Light Board Operator | Patrick Riggs |
| Sound Board Operator | Robert Stribling |
| Props | Theresa Vann |
| Production Assistant | Dustin Drumheller |
| Carpenters | Stephen L. Jones, Laura Coe, Son Nyugen |
| Staff Stitchers | Emily Davis, (Lily) Yon Dian, Victoria Mitchell, Sarah Rowland |
| Volunteer Stitchers | Kira Graybill, Jason Nott, Jayne Stowell, Trina Palmer |
| Student Stitchers | Fran Nenzel, Cristina Arizmendi |
| Box Office Supervisor | Anita Thomas |
| Box Office Staff | Mary Brabender, Cynthia Hawes, Thom Fearon, Ryan Haynes |
| House Managers | Cathi Pickavet, John Kincaid |
| Festival Operations | Robert W. Gore |
| Festival Coordinators | Luther Hanson, David Harris |
| Poster/Postcard Design | Nixa Schell |
| Photography | Bruce Clarke |
| Preshow Entertainment | Chuck Jamison |
| Special Thanks | Dave, Luther, Rob, Nicole, Dan, Steve, the cast and crew, Shelly, Katie, Kira, Alaina, Lenore, Mike Carrasco, Bruced Smith, Michael Stauffer, and, as always, Mark Lawson. |
Director's Notes
Much Ado About Nothing is Shakespeare's sunniest comedy, chock full of romance and wonderfully comic characters. It is written largely in prose and has a sontaneity about the language that adds to the overall light-heartedness of the play. Much of the lasting appeal of the play seems centered around the characters of Beatrice and Benedick, "the battling B's", of whom it was written, "...let but Beatrice and Benedick be seen, lo in a trice the cockpit, galleries, boxes, are all full." I have chosen to set this production in the early 19th century because the play's situations and characters seemed to me to be highly reminiscent of the situations and characters in the novels of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. We hope you enjoy watching the play as much as we have enjoyed putting it together!
- Kim McCann, Director