Shakespeare’s “Much Ado about Nothing” with flappers and gangsters a la Al Capone? Not quite how the Bard imagined it, but his comedy of love and deception transposes easily onto the Jazz age in this production, where the champagne and witticisms flow in equal abundance.
At the center of the play are Beatrice and Benedick, each determined to avoid love and remain single at any cost — but no less drawn to spar verbally with one another whenever they meet. Is the deception here self-deception and could the sparring be a sign of mutual attraction? Benedick’s army buddies, Don Pedro and Claudio, decide to find out, and they have no qualms about using outright trickery to play Cupid and bring the unlikely pair together.
Meanwhile, Claudio develops romantic problems of his own when the play’s villain, Don John, seems to show him his bride-to-be, Hero, being unfaithful on the night before their wedding. It’s yet more trickery, but before the trick is brought to light by the bumbling police work of Constable Dogberry and the Watch, hearts are broken and a wedding is ruined...Or is it just postponed?
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
BEATRICE: female, 30-40. Independent, funny, combative but with a hint of vulnerability. Her determination never to marry matches that of the play’s least eligible bachelor, Benedick.
BENEDICK: male, 30-40. Beatrice’s sparring partner in a “merry war” of witty put-downs. More comfortable with soldiery than romance.
HERO: female, 20-30. Dutiful daughter set to become the loving wife of Claudio. At points, though, a more mischievous side comes out.
CLAUDIO: male, 20-30. Wooer of Hero. The play’s most romantic figure, a starry-eyed lover if there ever was one — except that he has some nasty insecurities.
LEONATO: male, 50+. Father of Hero. Protective of her and especially of her honor.
DON PEDRO: male, 40+. Commander of the soldiers returning from battle (Benedick and Claudio) and the play’s highest status character.
DON JOHN: male/female (but needs to be played as a male), 35+. Don Pedro’s bastard half-brother and a self-described “plain-dealing villain.” Melancholy, even toxic, but also funny in the way he unabashedly embraces his own villainous role. Reimagined in this play for the 1920s, he needs to come across as something of an Al-Capone figure.
BORACHIO: male, 25-35. One of Don John’s flunkies. Seducer of Margaret.
CONRADE: male, 25+. Another of Don John’s flunkies.
DOGBERRY: male/female, 30+. Leader of the watch, keeper of the peace, and a well-intentioned bumbler. Despite their bumbling, he and the rest of the watch manage to bring the villains to justice.
1-3 MEMBERS OF THE WATCH: male/female, any age. Much physical comedy. Watch will also double as messengers and wedding guests.
URSULA: female, any age. Confidant of Hero. Helps Hero with the plan to trick Beatrice into falling in love with Benedick.
MARGARET: female, 20-30. Maid and confidant of Hero. Flirtatious.
FRIAR: male/female, 25+. An unusually resourceful member of the clergy. He/she devises the plan to fake Hero’s death and restore her reputation.
All roles are open to all ethnicities.
​