Arc Theatre Stages MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at Shakespeare on the Ridge, Now thru 8/3

The Arc Theatre follows last year's 4-star and critically acclaimed "Twelfth Night" with Shakespeare's witty and dangerous "Much Ado About Nothing." "Much Ado" represents Arc's fifth year in residence at Shakespeare on the Ridge, and will be performed today, July 12th through August 3rd, 2014, Saturday and Sunday evenings at 7pm at Ridgeville Park, 908 Seward St in Evanston, IL. Admission is free. The show will run approximately 90 minutes.

Shakespeare on the Ridge was created through a collaboration between The Arc Theatre's Artistic Director Mark Boergers and Ridgeville Parks District Programs Director Michael Miro in 2010 with the goal of bringing professional quality theatre to the Ridgeville and Evanston community. In four years, "Shakespeare on the Ridge" has expanded from one weekend of shows performed on the side of a hill to a full run of four weekends of specially-tailored professional performances under the stars. Shows are created specifically for the series, custom adapted by The Arc Theatre to focus on the colorful relationships and intricate story telling inherent in Shakespeare's great works. The Arc brings professionally trained actors from the Chicago theatre community to create these one-of-a-kind experiences each summer. "Shakespeare on the Ridge" has become an eagerly anticipated event each year for audiences from all over Chicago who come to experience high quality art in a relaxing and fun setting.

Sponsored by The Ridgeville Cultural Development Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, admission to "Much Ado about Nothing" is free. Audiences are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner to enjoy during the performance. Some seating is provided, but the audience can feel free to bring seating of their own. Special reserved VIP seats can be obtained with a donation to Ridgeville Parks. Performances will continue through light weather interruptions, but will be suspended if safety requires. More information on the show and reserved seats can be found at arctheatrechicago.org and ridgeville.org/shakespeare.

"Much Ado" features some of the most provocative young artists in the Chicago Arts Community. The show is directed by The Arc Theatre's Artistic Director and co-founder Mark Boergers. "Much Ado" features Alison Plott, James McGuire, Mary Tilden, Kelsey Phillips, Jeff Kurysz, returning Shakespeare on the Ridge Alums Joe Flynn and Colin Wasmund as "Benedick" and "Don Pedro," new Arc Company Member Natalie Sallee as "Leonata" and Arc co-Founder Teddy Boone as "Don John." The show's head designer is Arc Company co-founder Cailin Short, with Costume Designs by Catharine Young. The show has Movement Direction from returning artist Dustyn Martincich and is Stage Managed by Arc Company Member Belinda Bing, assisted by Rose Streit.

The Arc Theatre is a proud company in the tradition of Chicago Storefront Theatres committed to shows that celebrate the craft of theatre-making. Now in it's 5th year, The Arc's shows are derived through artistic process from the rich and diverse Chicago Theatre Community, utilizing professionalism, creativity and polish to produce shows that consistently outperform our budget. Along with arciTEXT, the festival of new works that performed this March, The Arc will follow "Much Ado" with a scintillating production of Caryl Churchill's "Top Girls" at the Den theatre in January and February to complete its 2014-2015 season.

For more information, visit arctheatrechicago.org.

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