Shakespeare's Battle of the Sexes Is On in GTA's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Beginning appropriately on Valentine's Day, the Gainesville Theatre Alliance invites audiences to the world of Shakespearean comedy and romance in the Italian countryside with Much Ado About Nothing. While witty and fiery Benedick and Beatrice swear never to marry, lovers Claudio and Hero can't find the altar quick enough.

With performances at UNG's Ed Cabell Theatre (3820 Mundy Mill Rd., Oakwood) through February 25, this merry comedy is the perfect start for audiences who may never have seen the work of the Bard.

The happy couple joins their friend Prince Don Pedro to set a trap for Benedick and Beatrice: to make them fall horribly in love with each other! The prince's villainous brother Don John plots to break up the marriage plans by accusing Hero of infidelity. With an inept comic sleuth thrown into all the mayhem to boot, will the wedding day be ruined, or will it all turn out to be Much Ado About Nothing?

Daring and refreshing, this is romantic comedy as only Shakespeare and the Gainesville Theatre Alliance can dream up. Now in its 37th season, the Gainesville Theatre Alliance is a nationally acclaimed collaboration of the University of North Georgia, Brenau University, theatre professionals and the North Georgia community.

With 38 plays in Shakespeare's body of work, director ELisa Carlson believes Much Ado needed to make a long-overdue appearance on the GTA stage: "Much Ado is a delightful comedy, always an audience favorite, and has a wide range of terrific roles for our students and professionals."

The title is actually an Elizabethan pun: "Nothing" was pronounced like "Noting," or Observing, which is meaningful since much of the drama and sparkling comes from over-hearing or misinterpreting intentions. By holding a fun-house mirror up to nature, Much Ado raises the idea that the people we love might not always be what they seem at first.

Romance and marriage lie at the forefront of Much Ado, revolving around two pairs of lovers: Claudio and Hero stand as the perfect match, military hero and darling daughter; Benedick and Beatrice fight, flirt, and believe that romantic love isn't all it's said to be. This is a Shakespeare long departed from the love-at-first-sight drama of Romeo and Juliet.

This production is set during the Regency period, 200 years after the original setting, in an oasis-like Villa where the women receive men coming home from war.

"Setting the play in the early 1800s, places us during the Napoleonic Wars, allowing our military characters a legitimate presence, while female fashion of light weight and sheer fabrics shows us the frolicsome whimsy of the play," said Resident Costume Designer and Brenau assistant professor Pamela Workman.

While the men may seem in charge, on their own they aren't enough to rein in characters like the vibrantly witty Beatrice, who encourages her cousin Hero to take charge and enjoy the man she loves. It's a play with considerable girl power and a production team to match: all designers on board are some of the wonderful women of GTA's faculty and students.

For scenic designer Celeste Morris, the Italianate gardens reflect the women's untamable spirit and beauty: "This attempt to tame nature is evident in the relationships between the characters and as a comment on the social mores in regard to marriageability, social responsibility and personal desires."

While translating Shakespeare's world into an appropriate setting captivates the designers, finding believable characters and clarity through Shakespeare's dense language remains a terrific obstacle for actors in the cast, made clearer by guest artist and Actor's Equity member Brian Kurlander. From first read-through, Kurlander's expertise has been a remarkable guiding hand for the cast of GTA's eagerly developing Shakespearean artists.

Kurlander's Don Pedro complements the character of Leonata, changed to a mother figure in GTA's production and played by Director and UNG professor ELisa Carlson. She and other roles have been cast uncharacteristically to women to draw attention to the brilliant creation of Shakespeare's women.

"I like to imagine what he would have written if he'd been able to cast as many women as he liked. I'm sure we'd have some very different plays. As the funny plot of Much Ado is in some ways a 'battle of the sexes', making the playing field more even works well," said director Carlson. These characters wonder, as perhaps all of us do, what promises romance holds.

Even 400 years after his death, the Bard still has stories to tell, Carlson stresses. Shakespeare's theatre is bold, passionate and real.

"Shakespeare writes so beautifully that the plays still feel just as fresh, insightful and relevant today."

Hearts will break and lovers will spat in performances at UNG's Ed Cabell Theatre Feb. 14 - 25, with a FREE Opening Night Reception in the lobby following the Feb. 14 performance, catered by Ace Catering. There is also a discounted preview performance on Monday, Feb. 13, for which tickets are $10. The Feb. 14 performance will be followed by Tickets are $18-20 for adults, $16-18 seniors (65 and up), and $12-14 for students, depending on seat location. Patrons can select their own seats online at www.gainesvilleTHEATREalliance.org or by calling the Box Office at 678.717.3624, Monday - Friday from 10am to 4pm.

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