Great Lakes Theater Presents Shakespeare's Sublime Battle Of Wits And Wills, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Great Lakes Theater, Cleveland's Classic Company, continues the second half its 58th season with Shakespeare's sublime battle of wits and wills, Much Ado About Nothing. The production will be performed in the company's intimate and audience-friendly home at the Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square, March 27 - April 11, 2020. Great Lakes Theater's own Producing Artistic Director, Charles Fee, directs the production.

Great Lakes Theater is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Additionally, the Great Lakes Theater 2019-20 Season is made possible in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

Beatrice and Benedick would rather exchange scorching insults than sweet nothings. However, the pugnacious pair is forced to forge a partnership in order to defend house and honor, and salvage the true love of Hero and Claudio after deceptions destroy the lovers' wedding day. Will the earnest endeavor to restore a young romance elicit an unexpected change of heart for the effort's unlikely collaborators as well?

Great Lakes Theater's acclaimed home at the Hanna Theatre features a visionary "Great Room" inspired design that integrates the artist and audience experience into a single unified environment. Hanna patrons select from a variety of seating opportunities including traditional theater seats, club chairs, lounge/bar seats, banquette couches and private box seating. Arranged in an intimate 550-seat thrust configuration where the audience surrounds the stage, no seat is further than 12 rows from the performance.

Organized by day of the week, Great Lakes Theater offers patrons a robust series of Experience Enhancement Programming. The series highlights the Hanna's unique amenities and affords access to artists. Glenmede and St. Mary of the Woods have provided generous support for our enhancement programming.

· Director's Night offer audiences the opportunity to take part in a lively pre-show discussion with GLT's Producing Artistic Director, Charles Fee, and the director of each production before Friday preview performances. (Generous Support Provided By: Glenmede) (Offered: Mar. 27)

· Ice Cream Social Sundays offer patrons the opportunity to enjoy a London theatre tradition brought stateside. Audience members can purchase a cool, personal ice cream treat before the show or at intermission. Ice cream is available at every performance in of Much Ado About Nothing, but on Ice Cream Social Sundays, the treat is half price. (Offered: Mar. 29 and Apr. 5)

· Salon Thursdays feature an engaging pre-show discussion/presentation beginning one hour before curtain with a Great Lakes Theater artist. (Generous Support Provided By: St. Mary of the Woods) (Offered: Apr. 2 and 9)

· Playnotes Pre-Show Discussions inform patrons with illuminating introductions to the content and history of each play in GLT's season presented by a guest scholar before Saturday matinee performances. (Offered: Apr. 4 and 11)

Great Lakes Theater will continue to afford patrons extraordinary access to its artists and production process at every Hanna Theatre performance of Much Ado About Nothing. The Hanna always opens its doors sixty minutes before each performance allowing patrons to observe the complete pre-show preparation process of GLT's actors and technical staff. Elements traditionally hidden from audiences such as stage combat rehearsals, dance calls, prop/scenic pre-sets, technical cue rehearsals and actor warm-ups will be conducted in full view of patrons, offering GLT audiences an unprecedented glimpse into the theatrical process.

Great Lakes Theater will also renew its New Deal pricing initiative this spring--designed to increase accessibility for audiences. As part of the program, adult tickets begin at $15 and patrons 25 and under sit in any seat at any performance for $13 - making GLT one of the most affordable entertainment options in the region.

The Opening Night (also Press Night) performance of Much Ado About Nothing is scheduled for Saturday, March 28th. A preview performance is scheduled for the preceding Friday night evening (March 27th). Curtain times for all evening performances will remain at 7:30 p.m., with a 1:30 p.m. curtain time for Saturday matinees and a 3:00 p.m. curtain time for Sunday matinees. GLT will offer a sign-interpreted and audio-described performance of Much Ado About Nothing on April 5, 2020 at 3:00 PM.

Single performance tickets range in price from $15-$80 (patrons 25 and under pay $13) and are available by calling (216) 241-6000, by ordering online at www.greatlakestheater.org or by visiting the Playhouse Square Ticket Office. Groups of ten or more receive discounts of up to 30% by calling (216) 453-4457

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