By Rebecca Stone Thornberry
In a western town in Messina County, Leonato, the owner of the local saloon,
learns that Don Pedro is returning home after successfully protecting another
wagon train of settlers on the frontier. Leonato's quick-witted niece Beatrice
anticipates the return of Benedick with whom she enjoys verbal sparring.
Don Pedro, his brother Don John, and Benedick return bringing Claudio, a young
hero, with them. Claudio falls instantly in love with Leonato's daughter Hero,
and reveals his feelings to his friend Benedick, who vows that he will remain a
bachelor. Don Pedro agrees to help Claudio win Hero at that evening's
celebration. Meanwhile, Don John, jealous of Claudio's close relationship with
Don Pedro, plots with his friends Borachio and Conrade to undermine the
courtship.
As the couples pair off at the masked dance, Don John deceives Claudio into
thinking that his brother Don Pedro has his eye on Hero and plans to marry her.
Claudio soon discovers that far from stealing Hero, however, Don Pedro has won
her for him. Claudio rejoices and Don Pedro proposes to a stunned Beatrice who
politely declines. It is decided that Claudio and Hero's wedding will take
place in one week's time.
Don Pedro, with the help of Claudio, Hero, and Leonato, plots to convince
Beatrice and Benedick to admit their true feelings for one another and to get
them to marry. After ensuring that Benedick overhears their conversation,
Leonato and Claudio reveal that Beatrice is secretly in love with the confirmed
bachelor. Benedick is transformed to an ardent lover as he realizes his true
feelings for Beatrice. Similarly, Hero and the women lasso Beatrice by allowing
her to overhear a conversation in which they discuss Benedick's love for her.
Beatrice returns Benedick's feelings and discovers that she wants to marry him.
As Hero and Claudio's wedding approaches, Borachio devises a plot to impugn
Hero's honor. The night before the wedding, Claudio sees what appears to be his
fiancée embracing another man.
Sheriff Dogberry and Deputy Verges have established a watch to patrol the town
the night before Claudio and Hero's wedding. Bragging of their nefarious feat,
Borachio and Conrade are nabbed by the watch who take their time interrogating
the malefactors..
During the wedding ceremony, an enraged Claudio accuses Hero of unfaithfulness.
Although she proclaims her innocence, the men are adamant. Even Leonato is
convinced of his daughter's affair. Grief-stricken, Hero swoons; Claudio storms
off.
Having witnessed the scene, and convinced of her innocence, the Friar counsels
Leonato to announce that Hero has died in the hope that Claudio will regret his
actions and realize how much he loves her. Although privy to the plot, Beatrice
demands that Benedick kill Claudio to protect Hero's honor. Reluctantly,
Benedick agrees and challenges his friend to a duel.
Dogberry and Verges interrogate Conrade and Borachio, then take the villains to
Don Pedro and Claudio to confess. Convinced of Hero's integrity, a contrite
Claudio stands before the town ready to do what he can to honor her memory.
back to top
PRODUCTION CONCEPT
By Rebecca Stone Thornberry
For director Jane Page, Much Ado About Nothing takes place in a world where
characters are closely knit and male friendship and loyalty rule the day. As in
many communities, gossip is rampant and so powerful that it even convinces a
father to believe cruel rumors about his daughter. At the same time, some women enjoy an unusual amount of independence. To highlight these qualities, Page moves the
action of Shakespeare's 16th century play to a frontier town in the Old West.
Set designer Bob Cothran creates a classic Western main street, complete with the
local Spanish Mission-style Church, saloon/hotel, and Messina County sheriff's
office. Cothran describes the set as having a "ghost-town texture."
Costume designer Maureen Carr Stevens develops the classic Western theme, even
giving the irrepressible Verges an arsenal of weaponry to wear.
Julie Mack's lighting design incorporates luminaries reminiscent of Mexican
festivals to create "a sense of warmth and romanticism and lushness," while
Kevin Dunayer's sound design is heavily influenced by the familiar sounds of
the piano players of the Old West, the score from GUNSMOKE, bluegrass music
and the songs of Stephen Foster.
Page uses this "southwestern town culture" as a platform for incorporating many
classic conventions of film and television Westerns: gun twirling, lasso
tricks, a cracking bullwhip, and square dancing add to the fast-paced fun. Page
feels that in this area of the country the setting is especially appropriate.
After all, she says, "the Wild West is certainly part of our Colorado
heritage."
back to top
OUTSPOKEN WOMEN
By Rebecca Stone Thornberry
Shakespeare's Beatrice is a lively example of a woman who refuses to conform to
conventional standards. She will not be told what to think or whom to marry and
she always speaks her mind. Such assertiveness was common among women on the
Western frontier. The promise of free land for homesteaders, gold, and a new
way of life proved irresistible to many who journeyed west along the Oregon and
Overland Trails with children and livestock in tow. Some, like the infamous
Donner party, encountered overwhelming obstacles in their quest, but those who
were successful found new adventures unfolding before them.
For women, life was both more difficult and rewarding on the frontier. In the
east, gender roles were determined by Victorian mores. Because they
were believed to be more spiritual than men, protecting the family's morals was
one of women's most important duties. In addition, they kept house, raised
children, and performed similar tasks that restricted their activities to the
home place.
Out West, there were more opportunities, even if they were not always savory
ones. Crime and prostitution flourished in the downtown area of Denver, where
Mattie Silks became known as the "Queen of the Denver Red Lights." A cunning
businesswoman, Silks ran a brothel in Georgetown, Colorado, before opening
operations in Denver in 1876. Silks made and spent a fortune during her career,
and retired in 1915 when efforts to rid the area of prostitution closed many brothels.
Rigid gender roles were loosened by the harsh conditions that settler families
encountered. Often, traditionally male roles were, by necessity, assumed by
wives and daughters. Women drove cattle, performed funerals and ran businesses.
As their roles expanded, so did their sense of self. If women could do men's
work, why shouldn't they share some of the same rewards as men?
Across the nation, women were demanding the right to vote, and many in the West
championed this cause. In Oregon, Abigail Scott Duniway, a teacher and writer,
was dismayed at the unfair treatment women received. Although they could not
make business deals, they were accountable for debts their husbands had
acquired. Women could not file a lawsuit or otherwise seek the protection of
the court system. For over forty years, Abigail Scott Duniway campaigned
tirelessly for women's suffrage in an effort to give women a voice against such
injustice. She achieved success in 1912 at the age of 79 when women in Oregon
were granted the right to vote.
Denver's own "unsinkable" Molly Brown was another Western woman who fought for women's rights. In addition to supporting many philanthropic causes, Brown, working
with the National Woman's Party in the 1920s, campaigned for the passage of
the equal rights amendment. She became renowned for her unconventionality and
outspoken views on the world around her.
Both for Western women and Shakespeare's Beatrice, transgressing boundaries and
forging new paths were daily events. By asserting their independence and
speaking their minds, women like Mattie Silks, Abigail Duniway and Molly Brown redefined gender roles and influenced the development of the American West
back to top
CAST
Director___________________________________ Jane Page
Dramaturg/Assistant Director__________________ Rebecca StoneThornberry
Scenic Designer____________________________ Robert Cothran
Lighting Designer___________________________ Julie Mack
Sound Designer_____________________________ Kevin Dunayer
Costume Designers__________________________ Maureen T. Carr-Stevens
Assistant Costume Designer____________________Deb Sivigny
Choreographer______________________________ Deborah Reshotko
Setting: Messina, Arizona in the Wild West, late 19th Century
Cast List
Town Folk
Leonato, the bar and hotel owner_______________ James E. L. Esely
Antonio, Leonato’s brother and barkeep_________ Sam Sandoe
Padre Francis, the local clergy_________________ Windell D. Middlebrooks
The Law
Dogberry, the town Sherrif____________________ Dennis R. Elkins
Verges, Dogberry’s right-hand man_____________ J. Buck Jabaily
Deputy #1_________________________________ Chaney Tullos
Deputy #2_________________________________ Alan Nelson
Wagoneers
Don Pedro, wagon master_____________________ Frank J. Mihelich
Benedick, trail master________________________ Tony Marble
Claudio, wheelwright________________________ Kip Pierson
Don John/Clerk, gunsmith and brother to Don Pedro_Geoffrey Kent
Borachio, the cook__________________________ Eric Pasto-Crosby
Conrade, a drover___________________________ Todd Coulter
Balthasar, a scout___________________________ Zachary M. Andrews
The Ladies
Beatrice, the bar/hotel manager_________________Hollis McCarthy*
Hero, Leonato’s daughter_____________________ Jessie Fisher
Margaret, a barmaid and Leonato’s maid_________ Jessica Austgen
Ursula, a barmaid and Leonato’s maid___________ Nettie Mae Kraft
*Appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association
back to top
BIOGRAPHIES
Jane Page: Director, Much Ado About Nothing
Jane Page returns to CSF where two years ago she directed The Two Gentlemen of Verona. This year Ms. Page has directed: Brighton Beach Memoirs, Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF); A Streetcar Named Desire, Studio Arena Theatre (SAT, Buffalo, NY); and, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Queens College. Last year: Driving Miss Daisy, ASF: Dinner with Friends, Capital Repertory (Albany, NY); Flyin’ West, GeVa Theatre(Rochester, NY) and SAT; and, The Rimers of Eldrich, Queens College. Nationally, Ms. Page’s directing credits also include work with: Snowmass Repertory; the Denver Center, Virginia Museum and Fusion Theatre (Chicago, IL). Well known throughout the Rocky Mountain region Ms. Page has directed over 70 productions including the regional premieres of Marvin’s Room, The Spoils of War, Nora, Three More Sisters, Four Portraits of Mothers and A Shayna Maidel. Amelia Lives, an original play Ms. Page directed, garnered a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh International Theatre Festival in Scotland. Ms. Page lives in Denver and is married to director Gavin Cameron-Webb.
Tony Marble, Guest Artist playing Benedick
Tony Marble earned his MFA in theatre from Louisiana State University in 1999. Last season at CSF Mr. Marble appeared as Claude in the world premiere production of Shakespeare in Briefs! He recently played Nick in Over the River and Through the Woods, and Oronte in The Misanthrope for Houston’s Main Street Theatre Co; and was the Vagabond in a “Louisianified” production of George M. Cohan’s The Tavern at Baton Rouge’s Swine Palace Theatre. Past roles at Swine Palace and Louisiana State include Louis in Angels in America Part II: Perestroika and Buscher in Conquest of the South Pole. Mr. Marble has also appeared with Jason Priestley in the VH-1/Charter Films television movie PMRC and in the feature films Monster’s Ball and Lush. (3 seasons)
*Hollis McCarthy, Guest Artist playing Beatrice
Hollis McCarthy received her master of fine arts in acting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and her bachelor of fine arts in theatre from The University of Toledo. Ms. McCarthy lives in Chicago, where she has played Maria in Love’s Labours Lost (Chicago Shakespeare); Barbara in Things We Do for Love and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (The Organic); Beatrice in Much Ado and Katharina in The Taming of the Shrew (Notre Dame Shakespeare). Her regional credits include Phebe, As You Like It; First Witch, Macbeth (Portland Center Stage); in Kansas City, Chris, Dancing at Lughnasa (Missouri Rep); Helena, Midsummer Night’s Dream (Heart of America Shakespeare); Alice, You Can’t Take It With You with Don Knotts (New Theatre); and Shelby, Steel Magnolias (Great Plains Theatre). Ms. McCarthy’s extensive film/TV credits include leads in three feature films and a small role in Sam Mendes’ Road To Perdition. (1 season)
*Appearing courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association
Dennis R. Elkins, Guest Artist playing Dogberry
Dennis R. Elkins, a former professor of speech and theatre at Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn., is now a visiting professor of theatre here at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has directed and performed in various Shakespearean productions including The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, All’s Well That Ends Well, Love’s Labours Lost, The Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other roles include Chebutykin in Three Sisters, Ernie in Rumors, Dr. Chasuble in The Importance of Being Earnest, Gabe in Dinner With Friends and Mr. Mister in The Cradle Will Rock. Directing credits include The Crucible, Into the Woods, She Stoops to Conquer, How I Learned to Drive, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and most recently, The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek. Mr. Elkins holds a PhD in theatre from the University of Colorado, an MA from the University of Tennessee and a BA in humanities from Milligan College (Tenn.). (7 seasons)
For a complete list of actor bios, please see the CSF 2003 program.
Artistic Staff:
Maureen T. Carr-Stevens: Costume Designer, Much Ado About Nothing
Maureen T. Carr-Stevens received her BS from SUNY College at Buffalo and her MFA in costume design from the University of Illinois. In past years at CSF, she has been a painter/dyer, costume director, and designed costumes for The Taming of the Shrew in 1997. Currently, she is the faculty costume designer for Niagara University. (9 seasons)
Robert Cothran: Scenic Designer, Much Ado About Nothing
Robert Cothran’s work in scene design extends over 50 years and some 250 productions. Recent design projects include The Drawer Boy for Studio Arena Theatre (NY), Die Walkure for Virginia Opera, and Signor Bruschino and Suor Angelica for Knoxville Opera’s Rossini Festival . He taught scene design at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Victoria, British Columbia, and, for 27 years, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His designs for John O’Keefe’s Flowers of Fancy and The Seduction of Charlotte Bronte for the Clarence Brown Company will be included in the 2003 Prague Quadrennial International Theatre Design Exhibition. (1 Season)
Julie Mack: Lighting Designer, Much Ado About Nothing
Julie Mack was CSF’s master electrician in 1996 and 1997. She designed the last two seasons of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival (Othello, Love’s Labours Lost, Coriolanus, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Merchant of Venice), and is a cofounder of Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre in Fairbanks, Alaska, now in its 11th season. Ms. Mack has worked for Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theatre, Chicago’s American Theatre Company and Chicago’s Theatre on the Lake, as well as New York’s Fourth Street Theatre, Tucson’s Borderlands Theatre and the Arizona Repertory Theatre in Tucson. She is an associate professor of lighting design at Illinois State University. (3 seasons)
Kevin Dunayer: Sound Designer, Much Ado About Nothing
Kevin Dunayer, who earned his BA from the University of North Carolina-Asheville and his MFA from California Institute of the Arts, has designed sound for more than 250 shows—including 50 Shakespearean productions—at theatres nationwide. He has worked as a sound engineer for the world premieres of American Vaudeville, directed by Anne Bogort, and Svengali, directed by Gregory Boyd, for President Clinton’s 50th birthday celebration with Whoopi Goldberg and Harry Belafonte, and for the (1997) Grammy Awards. Locally, Dunayer has been nominated for two Denver Critics’ Circle Awards. He is a member of I.A.T.S.E, Local 1, in New York City. (17 seasons)
Deborah Reshotko: Choreographer, Much Ado About Nothing
Deborah Reshotko has been working as a choreographer for twenty-four years and has had her work produced throughout the United States and in Canada. She is the artistic director of Speaking Of Dance, a professional performing modern dance company based in Denver. (1 Season)
back to top
