Review: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at The Baron's Men @ Curtain Theatre

There are few places left where one can experience Shakespeare under the stars as he intended: actors on wooden boards, moonlight spilling over the audience, and language that crackles with life. Austin’s Curtain Theatre, a striking Elizabethan-style outdoor playhouse modeled after the London Globe, has long been one of them. With Much Ado About Nothing, The Baron’s Men bid a jubilant farewell to their beloved stage, filling it with laughter, romance, and just enough mischief to make the night sing.

Written at the turn of the 17th century, Much Ado About Nothing stands among Shakespeare’s most delightful comedies. The story unfolds in the sunlit world of Messina, where soldiers return home from war and love soon becomes the next battlefield. Beatrice (Jacquelyn Lies) and Benedick (Timothy McKinney) are lifelong sparring partners, both brilliant and stubborn, both certain they are immune to love, especially with each other. Meanwhile, the gentle Hero (Anneliese Friend) and the earnest Claudio (Rylee Ross) fall swiftly and deeply in love, only to be torn apart by the malice of Don John (Michael Pratt), the sullen, illegitimate brother of Prince Don Pedro (Chris Casey). Out of envy, Don John conspires to destroy the young lovers’ happiness by weaving lies that shatter Hero’s reputation and nearly ruin her life.

The play is a rich blend of deception and truth, humor and heartbreak. Friends of Beatrice and Benedick stage overheard conversations to trick the two into confessing their secret affection, while the wronged Hero quietly endures her public humiliation. Order is eventually restored, not by nobles or soldiers, but by the bumbling constable Dogberry (Audrey Renkenberger) and her hilariously incompetent watchmen and horse-man Verges (Jared Walls), who uncover Don John’s plot by accident. By the final scene, forgiveness wins out, lovers reunite, and joy ripples across the stage in song and dance.

The play captures the heartbeat of its era, when a person’s reputation could be their ruin, when wit was a woman’s sharpest armor, and when love was the ultimate act of courage. Its central theme, the fragility of truth and the danger of rumor, feels as timely now as it did in Shakespeare’s day. Yet for all its intrigue, Much Ado glows with optimism. It reminds us that laughter, humility, and compassion remain the surest ways through chaos.

For over twenty years, The Baron’s Men have remained devoted to performing Shakespeare as it was meant to be seen, with original text, period costuming, and staging true to the Elizabethan spirit. At a time when many companies modernize the Bard’s works, such as Romeo + Juliet with pistols, Macbeth in corporate boardrooms, or Twelfth Night in neon-lit nightclubs, The Baron’s Men offer a rare and beautiful kind of theatrical time travel. Their Much Ado shone with authenticity: corseted gowns, doublets, and leather boots, every stitch meticulously designed by Shannon Gibson. The costumes glowed beneath the torchlight, wrapping the audience in a world that felt both ancient and immediate.

Under Lindsay M. Palinsky’s direction, the production moved with energy and precision. Every inch of the Curtain Theatre’s multi-tiered architecture came to life, with balconies, stairways, and aisles transformed into extensions of the story. The staging was dynamic and physical, with actors using movement to give shape to the rhythm of Shakespeare’s language.

Jacquelyn Lies gave a luminous performance as Beatrice, her quick wit and fiery independence tempered by warmth and vulnerability. Her diction is a gift to the audience. She was matched with gusto by Timothy McKinney’s Benedick, whose charm and comedic grace made him endlessly watchable. Together, they created a chemistry that felt spontaneous and real, turning their banter into something electric.

Anneliese Friend’s Hero and Rylee Ross’s Claudio brought genuine sweetness to their roles, capturing the innocence and pain of young love. Pratt’s Don John, dripping with resentment, reminded us that even in comedies, envy can poison the air.

Audrey Renkenberger’s Dogberry provided comic relief that stole the show. Her blustering self-importance and pitch-perfect timing turned every misused word into a triumph. She proved, once again, that Shakespeare’s fools are often the wisest of all.

The ensemble was uniformly strong, creating a world that felt alive and communal. When the final dance began, the audience was swept into the joy of it, as if invited to join the celebration themselves.

This production also marks the company’s final performance at the Curtain Theatre, which has been sold to private developers. It is a poignant farewell to a venue that has been their artistic home for two decades. Yet The Baron’s Men remain undaunted. They are now raising funds to build a new permanent home, one where Austin audiences can continue to experience the magic of Elizabethan theatre under the Texas sky.

Much Ado About Nothing has always been one of my favorite Shakespeare comedies. It is clever and heartfelt, and for once, nobody dies. The women are witty and wise, and they have agency to make decisions. The men are delightfully flawed.  And in the end, love conquers all.

The house was full, the laughter contagious, and the applause thunderous. If you have not seen The Baron’s Men in their natural element, get your tickets quickly. There is nothing quite like watching Much Ado as it was meant to be seen, under open sky, surrounded by laughter, in the company of fools and lovers.

Much Ado About Nothing

Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by Lindsay M. Palinsky

Now Playing Through October 25th, 2025

Thursdays through Saturday at 8:00 PM

Extra Show Wednesday October 22nd at 8:00 PM

The Baron’s Men

@ Curtain Theatre

7400 Coldwater Canyon Drive