Much Ado About Nothing at Santa Cruz Shakespeare
Dates: 7/11/2026 - 8/30/2026
📍 Theatre: Santa Cruz Shakespeare
501 Upper Park Rd
Santa Cruz, CA
Phone: (831) 460-6399
Tickets: $25-$98
Santa Cruz Shakespeare invites you to experience Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, under the trees and stars of the Audrey Stanley Grove in Santa Cruz’s DeLaveaga Park this summer.
Much Ado About Nothing
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Charles Pasternak
One of Shakespeare’s wittiest and most beloved comedies, the 2026 season will open with Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Of all the couples in Shakespeare, perhaps none is more widely loved than Beatrice and Benedick. Their battle of wits; their antagonism turned to eroticism; their history. Before the play begins, they already seem to define each other. The audience, like the other characters in the play, wait with excitement as their wits clash, and eventually, as their love blossoms.
Much Ado About Nothing runs July 11 - August 30.
Tickets available for purchase starting May 1. More information at https://santacruzshakespeare.org/tickets/
Seasonal box office hours beginning May 1 are Tuesday through Friday from 12p.m. to 4p.m. Call 831-460-6399.
Performance Dates:
- Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM – preview
- Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 8:00 PM – preview
- Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 8:00 PM – opening
- Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 8:00 PM
- Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM
- Friday, July 24, 2026 at 8:00 PM
- Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM
- Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM – family day
- Friday, July 31, 2026 at 8:00 PM
- Saturday, August 1, 2026 at 2:00 PM
- Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 12:00 PM – family day
- Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 7:00 PM – pre-show dramaturgy
- Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 8:00 PM
- Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 2:00 PM
- Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM – pre-show backstage tour (ticket required)
- Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 7:00 PM
- Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 7:00 PM – wine club
- Friday, August 21, 2026 at 8:00 PM
- Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM – all-ages-matinee
- Wednesday, August 26, 2026 at 7:00 PM
- Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 8:00 PM
- Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 2:00 PM – closing
Authors
Tony Awards and Nominations for Much Ado About Nothing
| Year | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Best Revival | Nominated |
News About Much Ado About Nothing at Santa Cruz Shakespeare
We have no news on this show at the current time.
About the Theatre
Santa Cruz Shakespeare Frequently Asked QuestionsFAQ
Where is Santa Cruz Shakespeare located?
What shows have played recently at Santa Cruz Shakespeare ?
The Taming of the Shrew (7/9/23-8/26/23)
The Book of Will (7/8/23-8/27/23)
The Tempest (7/28/22-8/27/22)
The Formula (7/10/22-8/28/22)
Twelfth Night (7/10/22-8/28/22)
RII (7/21/21-8/29/21)
The Agitators (7/20/21-8/29/21)
Troilus & Cressida (6/9/21-6/23/21)
What shows are coming up next at Santa Cruz Shakespeare?
Private Lives by Noel Coward (09/04/26-10/04/26)
The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown (09/11/26-10/03/26)
|
The Phantom of the Opera San Jose Center for the Performing Arts (10/07-10/18) |
|
WRECKAGE: A Musical Tragicomedy San Francisco Mime Troupe (7/03-9/07) |
|
Sister Act Cabrillo Crocker Theater (7/09-8/02) PHOTOS |
|
Broadway Under the Stars - Mamma Mia! Transcendence Theatre Company (8/13-8/30) |
|
Theresa Donahoe’s All the Great New Things to Come The Marsh (8/13-8/15) |
|
Hadestown (Non-Equity) Orpheum Theatre San Francisco (1/07-1/10) |
|
Fences by August Wilson Santa Cruz Shakespeare (7/28-8/28) |
|
Abbey Glover’s I’m a Businessman, Man The Marsh (8/15-8/16) |
|
The Fall Show Shotgun Players Ashby Stage (9/26-10/25) |
|
"Next Time" Potrero Stage (8/09-8/15) VIDEOS |