Edison Stagelight Players Bring MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING To Playhouse South 4/30

Edison Stagelight Players is pleased to be invited by Playhouse South to offer two performances of William Shakespeare's delightful comedy Much Ado About Nothing at the Clark Haines Theater in Kettering, on Thursday, April 30th and Friday, May 1st, at 7:30PM.

The comedy, originally written sometime around 1599-1600, is set in the port city of Messina on the island of Sicily, off the coast of Italy, in the early nineteenth century. Its recurring themes are eavesdropping, gender politics, and the fear of commitment. It was described by the poet A. C. Swinburne as Shakespeare's "most perfect comic masterpiece."
The story concerns a pair of lovers, Claudio & Hero, and the events surrounding their engagement and wedding, including Prince Don Pedro's attempt to trick their friends, Beatrice and Benedick, into confessing their well-hidden love for each other. Meanwhile, the prince's illegitimate half-brother Don John, jealous of Don Pedro's power and Claudio's success, plans to sabotage the upcoming wedding.

The cast includes current and former Edison students, as well as local community members, such as Emily Beisner of Troy as Beatrice, Jayson Grigsby of New Bremen as Benedick, Joshua Deane of Troy and Adam Davis of Troy alternating as Claudio, Rachel Gaston of Piqua and Shea Fletcher of St. Paris alternating as Hero. Further, Patrick Stone of Piqua alternates Don Pedro with Matthew Beisner of Troy. Evan McElfresh of Troy and Stuart Ableman of Greenville alternate in the role of Don John. Other cast members include Alice Davis of New Bremen, Ela Castaldo of Covington, Jessica Poeppelman of Ft. Loramie, Kevin Grogean of Fletcher, James Maloney of Greenville, Brandon Gates and Chris Garner of Piqua, and William Loudermilk of Dayton. The production is directed by Edison's Professor of Art & Theatre, Anne Vaccaro.

Playhouse South president Jim Brown has noted, "This should be an awesome time for all of us! I'm looking forward to it!" Ms. Vaccaro agrees, looking forward to this event "with great excitement, and hoping this will signal more collaborative efforts in the future!"

Edison Stagelight Players, the college's theatre group, grew from ongoing Edison classes such as Intro to Theatre and Acting. Auditions are open to all community members as well as Edison students, and its productions have included members in age from five to seventy-five, and performs for the public and Jr. High and High School classes. For information on ESP season and performances, call toll-free 1-800-922-3722, ex. 7915.
Located in the Clark Haines Theater at 3700 Far Hills Avenue, Playhouse South has been a part of the Dayton-area community for over 40 years. For more information, call toll-free 888-262-3792, or go to www.playhousesouth.org.

Tickets for the performances are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and members, $7 for students, and free for children five and under. Reservations may be made up until 5PM on the day of the performance by calling 1-(888) 262-3792.