MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Scott Wentworth
WHEN: December 8 - 28; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays at 7:30 PM Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM; and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 PM
WHERE: Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, 36 Madison Ave., Madison
TICKETS: start at $25 for preview performances and $32 for regular performances. Student rush tickets for all performances are $15, available a half-hour before curtain for with a valid student ID.
For tickets, call the Box Office at 973.408.5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s 2014 Season will conclude with the Bard’s beloved battle of wits, Much Ado About Nothing. Renowned Stratford Festival artist Scott Wentworth will perform “double duty,” directing the production and playing the staunch bachelor Benedick, opposite his real-life wife Marion Adler as the feisty Beatrice. This production will celebrate the winter holiday season, filled with music and dance that evokes the end of World War II, White Christmas era.
The Theatre has not staged Much Ado About Nothing in over a decade. “Much Ado is one of Shakespeare’s ‘extra special’ treasures. You wait for the perfect ensemble of artists before you stage it,” says Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte. “When I heard Scott’s ideas for the show, I knew his Much Ado would be a wonderful and delightful finale to our ambitious 2014 season.”
New Audience Engagement Opportunity
The Shakespeare Theatre is pleased to announce a new opportunity for audiences to enhance their theatergoing experience. Half-an-hour before the curtain of each performance, a company member will be available in the Theatre’s lobby to answer questions about the play and to talk about the production and the process. This informal artistic/audience interaction is designed to enrich one’s experience in viewing the play. “Many audience members have inquired about additional opportunities to engage with our wonderful work on the stage. In addition to our popular Symposium and Know the Show series, and our educational audience guides, we’re thrilled to offer this chance for patrons to learn more about the production process as they gather and wait for the play to begin,” says Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte.
The Shakespeare Theatre will continue to present the popular education program Know the Show, a program which provides background information and an insider’s perspective on the production. The Know the Show performance will be held on Thursday, December 11 at 7:00 PM. General admission is $5 for the general public, $4 for ticket package holders and subscribers. Tickets to that evening’s 8:00 PM performance may be purchased separately.
Three Symposium Series performances are offered for each show and include a free post-play discussion with the cast and artistic staff. Symposium performances for Much Ado About Nothing will be Tuesday, December 9 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, December 13 and Saturday, December 20 at 2 PM.
Discount preview performances for Much Ado About Nothing are Wednesday, December 3 at 7:30 PM, Thursday and Friday, December 4 and 5 at 8 PM, and Saturday, December 6 at 2 PM. These Preview performances offer opportunities for reduced-priced tickets while enjoying the excitement of the very first performances in front of an audience. As always, the first Preview performance is Pay What You Can night. Visit The Shakespeare Theatre Box Office between noon and curtain on December 3 and purchase a ticket for that evening’s 7:30 PM preview performance for what you are able to pay (offer subject to availability).
One of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation, serving 100,000 adults and children annually, The Shakespeare Theatre is New Jersey’s largest professional theatre company dedicated solely to Shakespeare’s canon and other world classics. Through its distinguished productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.
