The Players' Club, The University of Michigan-Dearborn

The University of Michigan-Dearborn Campus Writing Center
presents

Much Ado About Nothing
by William Shakespeare

August 17, 2000

STARRING

Miranda Bostic    Bethany Bray    Susan Dudley

John Ellison    Mickie Finn

Jon Finnegan    Matthew Hakim Brandon Hayes

Nathan Hughes    Johanna Lesch

Maureen McEachern    Dorothy McLeer    Lauren Russette

Jay Savage    Randy Woodland

Nathaniel Wright    Tami Younis    Viola

PRODUCERS

Bethany Bray    Brandon Hayes    Lauren Russette

DIRECTOR

Brandon Hayes

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS

Susan Dudley    Randy Woodland    Nathaniel Wright

CAST (in order of appearance)

BEATRICE - Lauren Russette

LEONATA - Miranda Bostic

HERO - Johanna Lesch

ANTONIO - John Ellison

MARGARET - Bethany Bray

URSULA - Tami Younis

BALTHASAR - Maureen McEachern

DON PEDRO - Nathan Hughes

BENEDICK - Jay Savage

DON JOHN - Nathaniel Wright

CLAUDIO - Brandon Hayes

CONRADE - Susan Dudley

BORACHIO - Matthew Hakim

DOGBERRY - Dorothy McLeer

VERGES - Mickie Finn

FRIAR FRANCIS - Jon Finnegan

SEXTON - Randy Woodland

DOGBERRY'S DOG – Viola

prompters:
Randy Woodland    Tami Younis

costumes:
Lauren Russette

lighting:
Jay Savage

original music:
Settings for "Sigh No More Ladies"
& "Pardon Goddess of the Night"
written and performed by Maureen McEachern

design:
Mickie Finn    Brandon Hayes

publicity and program:
Mickie Finn

house manager:
Michelle Megret

refreshments:
Scott Chapman    Lori McMenamin    Tami Younis

thank you to:
Paula Bray
Eric Reasons
The UM-D Honors Program
Filario

Live Production Photos
by Scott Chapman

foreground: Lauren Russette as Beatrice, Jay Savage as Benedick
background: Johanna Lesch as Hero, Nathan Hughes as Don Pedro,
Brandon Hayes as Claudio, Matthew Hakim as Borachio

~

Miranda Bostic as Leonata, Johanna Lesch as Hero, Lauren Russette as Beatrice

~

Susan Dudley as Conrade, Nathaniel Wright as Don John,
Brandon Hayes as Claudio, Matthew Hakim as Borachio

~

Jay Savage as Benedick

~

Lauren Russette as Beatrice

~

Susan Dudley as Conrade, Matthew Hakim as Borachio

~

Jon Finnegan as Friar Francis, Johanna Lesch as Hero, Brandon Hayes as Claudio

~

Lauren Russette as Beatrice, John Ellison as Antonio, Johanna Lesch as Hero,
Jon Finnegan as Friar Francis

~

Jay Savage as Benedick, Lauren Russette as Beatrice

~

Randy Woodland as the Sexton, Mickie Finn as Verges,
Dorothy McLeer as Dogberry

~

foreground: Lauren Russette as Beatrice, Jay Savage as Bendick
background: Tami Younis as Ursula, John Ellison as Antonio, Miranda Bostic
as Leonata, Jon Finnegan as Friar Francis, Johanna Lesch as Hero,
Brandon Hayes as Claudio

				"Do not you love me? Why, no, no more than reason"



	The University of Michigan-Dearborn Players’ Club Much Ado About Nothing: August 17, 2000 The University of Michigan-Dearborn Campus Writing Center presents Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare August 17, 2000 STARRING Miranda Bostic Bethany Bray Susan Dudley John Ellison Mickie Finn Jon Finnegan Matthew Hakim Brandon Hayes Nathan Hughes Johanna Lesch Maureen McEachern Dorothy McLeer Lauren Russette Jay Savage Randy Woodland Nathaniel Wright Tami Younis Viola PRODUCERS Bethany Bray Brandon Hayes Lauren Russette DIRECTOR Brandon Hayes ASSISTANT DIRECTORS Susan Dudley Randy Woodland Nathaniel Wright CAST (in order of appearance) BEATRICE - Lauren Russette LEONATA - Miranda Bostic HERO - Johanna Lesch ANTONIO - John Ellison MARGARET - Bethany Bray URSULA - Tami Younis BALTHASAR - Maureen McEachern DON PEDRO - Nathan Hughes BENEDICK - Jay Savage DON JOHN - Nathaniel Wright CLAUDIO - Brandon Hayes CONRADE - Susan Dudley BORACHIO - Matthew Hakim DOGBERRY - Dorothy McLeer VERGES - Mickie Finn FRIAR FRANCIS - Jon Finnegan SEXTON - Randy Woodland DOGBERRY'S DOG – Viola prompters: Randy Woodland Tami Younis costumes: Lauren Russette lighting: Jay Savage original music: Settings for "Sigh No More Ladies" & "Pardon Goddess of the Night" written and performed by Maureen McEachern design: Mickie Finn Brandon Hayes publicity and program: Mickie Finn house manager: Michelle Megret refreshments: Scott Chapman Lori McMenamin Tami Younis thank you to: Paula Bray Eric Reasons The UM-D Honors Program Filario Live Production Photos by Scott Chapman foreground: Lauren Russette as Beatrice, Jay Savage as Benedick background: Johanna Lesch as Hero, Nathan Hughes as Don Pedro, Brandon Hayes as Claudio, Matthew Hakim as Borachio ~ Miranda Bostic as Leonata, Johanna Lesch as Hero, Lauren Russette as Beatrice ~ Susan Dudley as Conrade, Nathaniel Wright as Don John, Brandon Hayes as Claudio, Matthew Hakim as Borachio ~ Jay Savage as Benedick ~ Lauren Russette as Beatrice ~ Susan Dudley as Conrade, Matthew Hakim as Borachio ~ Jon Finnegan as Friar Francis, Johanna Lesch as Hero, Brandon Hayes as Claudio ~ Lauren Russette as Beatrice, John Ellison as Antonio, Johanna Lesch as Hero, Jon Finnegan as Friar Francis ~ Jay Savage as Benedick, Lauren Russette as Beatrice ~ Randy Woodland as the Sexton, Mickie Finn as Verges, Dorothy McLeer as Dogberry ~ foreground: Lauren Russette as Beatrice, Jay Savage as Bendick background: Tami Younis as Ursula, John Ellison as Antonio, Miranda Bostic as Leonata, Jon Finnegan as Friar Francis, Johanna Lesch as Hero, Brandon Hayes as Claudio Director's Note... Tonight we present a rather unconventional playing of Much Ado About Nothing, one of Shakespeare's more popular comedies. We chose this play as the follow up to our successful and warmly received production of A Midsummer Night's Dream because it seemed to fit our assembled troupe of actors well. Nevertheless, we were forced to take liberties with Shakespeare's text (and sometimes with his intent) in order to create a successful (we hope) and cohesive play that adapted to our strengths as much as we adapted to the play's. The result is a version of Much Ado set in the 20th Century, specifically in Italy during the 1950's. This setting seemed very natural for a play whose atmosphere of release after the tedium of war mirrors Italy in the decades following WWII. Perhaps even more radical than the altering of the play's chronological setting was our regendering of many of the characters. Because we had so many talented women acting in Much Ado, we adapted the script, albeit minimally, to compensate. The result is a version of Shakespeare's play that redistributes gender roles and blurs the heavy distinctions between male and female roles in society. As Randy put it, presenting Leonato as a woman would have been "Unthinkable, of course, in Shakespeare's England, but in post-war Italy, who knows how many Signors did not return?" I must raise a glass in praise of Susan Dudley and Nathaniel Wright who have utterly rethought the motivations and dynamic of Don John, one of Shakespeare's most flat and unbelievable villains. In their staging of his scenes, Don John and his followers, Conrade and Borachio, have become more villainous, motivated by the sexual perversity that can lie beneath the veneer of polite society. I was extremely fortunate to have worked with such a talented group of people. Similar to our experience with Midsummer, our staging of Much Ado stressed flexibility and inclusiveness. Much of the development of the minor characters, particularly Antonio and Margaret, was left to the actors interpreting those roles...and so their enhanced character traits, Antonio's bookishness and Margaret's lustiness, fill out the world of the play. Everyone contributed to the staging of scenes and the mounting of the production. There are too many contributions to name, but one that is representative and deserving of particular mention is Maureen McEachern's brilliant setting of the two Shakespearean songs to music, particularly her haunting music for "Pardon, Goddess of the Night." It is the exquisite and inspired surprises like these that have made this production so fulfilling. B. 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