UnMasqued Theatre Presents MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING as Bluegrass Concert at Pieter Performance Art Space, 7/18

About the play: "The Arragons are a nationally acclaimed traveling band of bluegrass/folk musicians, returning this July from their year-long tour to the place that started it all, The Messina. They are presenting the story of their time together as a band on tour: the struggle, the love and betrayal, and a witty battle of the sexes. These events have inspired the band to write the music of their new album, Much Ado About Nothing. For a few special performances at their favorite venue, The Arragons will be giving a sneak peak of their new songs and an inside look into the lives of the artists."

UnMasqued is a bold, young theatre company that strives to create thought-provoking work through creative collaboration of multi-disciplinary artists. The Pieter Performance Art Space will be transformed into the venue for an actual bluegrass concert, using the original compositions of Davis Good and lyrics straight from Shakespeare's sonnets. Through active and exciting participation, the audience will complete the sense of community.

A note from the director, Drew Feldman:

"No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist." - Oscar Wilde

"We have staged this particular version of Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' as a response to a curiosity of memory and imagination and inside of that - love and betrayal. Where do the four meet? How often do we recall memories as they have really existed? Why do we choose to remember the good in a romance and not the bad? Why do we choose to dwell on the pain of a broken heart and ignore the times of abundance and joy? And, when we finally are asked to share our memory, to tell a large tale, why do we bend the truth? Why exaggerate, highlight, and expand? Shakespeare's 'Much Ado' is our way of asking these questions to you in hopes of revealing answers previously unknown together."

The cast includes Ty Fanning, Torey Byrne, Dillon Horner, Josh Henry, Neil Fleischer, Emelie O'Hara, Kristyn Chalker, Parker Wilmoth, Harriet Fisher, Barrett C. Lile, Drew Feldman, Claire Phillips, Lauren Jacobs, Daniel Ryan Wallach, and Valerie Sharp.

Performances will be on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM on July 18, 19, 25, 26, and August 1 and 2 in Pieter Performance Art Space. Tickets can be purchased at www.artful.ly/store/events/3207. For more information, please visit www.unmasqued.org.