Much Ado about Nothing at Great River Shakespeare Festival

A group of soldiers returns home to Messina and the entire neighborhood throws a block party to welcome them! As the party goes on and reunions occur, chaos and love abound. At the heart of it are Beatrice and Benedick, fiercely witty and sworn adversaries of love. Yet, amidst the playful exchanges and elaborate schemes, their hearts unwittingly fall for each other. Meanwhile, a malicious plot ensues as Don John and his minions attempt to come between the romance of Claudio and Hero. Watching all of the mayhem is a group of intrepid kids led by Dogberry, together they will protect the neighborhood and restore the peace. Come enjoy this production filled with love, comedy, music, and celebration!

“I’m always drawn to connect stories to our specific communities and Much Ado is the perfect play to do this with. It is a play about a neighborhood celebrating the return of their loved ones but also grasping with consent, building of trust, and the unsung heroes saving the day. Winona today is not unlike Messina, as a society we are constantly celebrating together and renegotiating relationships.

“This production of Much Ado will place young people at the center of the story. As the ones that save the day and the ones that represent the future of the community. As a director and educator, I’ve always admired the way young people question and challenge the world we live in and the situations they observe. Oftentimes they objectively observe from the outside and are able to pinpoint truths that adults often get lost in. The neighborhood Watch in Much Ado are the young people who see it all from the outside but are dismissed by the adults. Shakespeare writes: ‘What your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light.’ The young people that the adults consider ‘shallow fools’ are the ones that intervene and save the day.” Gaby Rodriguez, Director