Aux Dog Theatre to Inaugurate SHAKESPEARE 505 Project with MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

If it is spring, it's time for Shakespeare. And the Aux Dog Theatre Nob Hill will not disappoint.

On Saturday, April 8th, Aux Dog Theatre Nob Hill will introduce its SHAKESPEARE 505 with a production of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at 8 pm.

"I have wanted to start a Shakespeare project here at the Aux Dog Theatre since my appointment as Artistic Director in 2011," says Producing Artistic Director Victoria Liberatori. "And so I am thrilled to announce Aux Dog's new Company initiative: SHAKESPEARE 505. It will produce all of Aux Dog's future Shakespeare endeavors."

Liberatori's professional background includes the founding of Princeton Rep Shakespeare Festival in 1995, a professional Actors' Equity theatre company in Princeton, NJ. The Aux Dog Company is excited to begin this project with what is generally considered one of Shakespeare's best comedies because it combines elements of mistaken identities, love, robust hilarity with romantic complications that only Shakespeare could devise.

Have you ever had your life turned upside-down by a vicious rumor? Have you ever loved somebody you thought rejected you? Have you ever had the person you love accuse you of cheating? If any of these scenarios sound familiar, welcome to William Shakespeare's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING tells the story of two couples, one being Beatrice and Benedick and their ferociously comic rivalry, as well as the story of vicious revenge which nearly destroys Claudio and his love, Hero. Fortunately, it is thwarted by the bumbling and wholly confused constable, Dogberry who, nevertheless, saves the day.

"We've all been the victims of gossip and rumours," notes Liberatori. "In the case of Beatrice and Benedick, the results are highly comic as their friends try to hook them up despite the fact they say they can't stand each other. But in the case of Claudio and Hero, familial rejection and public humiliation are the outcomes." She adds, "However, this being a comedy, everything ends happily with a wedding celebration for not one but two couples. No Romeo and Juliet death scenes for MUCH ADO."

Liberatori believes these plays should be highly accessible to audiences who are skeptical about seeing Shakespeare on stage. Part of this approach is to have the actors in modern dress in order to bring the play into the present rather than setting it in some obscure historical period. "I think traditional presentations are fine," Liberatori says, "but I see the Bard's plays working in modern situations in contemporary circumstances without substantially altering the text. I prefer my Bard to be exciting, super-charged and definitely not your ordinary Shakespeare in its presentation".

Not content with just presenting the Bard in its theater, Aux Dog Theatre will bring Shakespeare to the streets of Nob Hill. Its SHAKESPEARE 505 in association with Nob Hill Main Street will be offering a free event at Triangle Park (where Monte Vista Blvd. meets Central and Girard) with free food and selected scenes from MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Shakespeare in Triangle Park will occur on Saturday, April 8th, and the following Saturday, April 15th, at 2 PM on a first come/first served basis. Seating is limited. Aux Dog and Nob Hill Main Street intend to make this an annual event for the public.

The full play runs at the Aux Dog Theatre Nob Hill from April 8th to 30th. For the first two weekends, performances will be on Saturday evenings , April 8th & 15th, at 8 pm and Sunday afternoons, April 9th & 16th, at 2 pm. For the next two weekends, performances will continue from April 21st to April 30th, with Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. Tickets can be purchased at auxdogtheatre.org or by calling (505) 254-7716. For further information, email info@auxdog.com.

Please note that on the first weekend, April 8th and 9th, the Aux Dog's 10@10 ticketing will be available. Arrive 10 minutes before the curtain and all unsold tickets will be $10. So bring a friend or two or 10. And students with a current ID get in for $5. Two terrific deals for one great show!

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