SF Shakes Announces 40th Season of Free Shakespeare in the Park

San Francisco Shakespeare Festival has announced that its summer 2022 Free Shakespeare in the Park production will be Shakespeare's popular romantic comedy, Much Ado About Nothing.

This beloved classic features the intermingling of 2 different love stories - Hero and Claudio, whose love is challenged by jealousy, and Beatrice and Benedick who work through their past history with each other to find love again. The villainy of Don John and the malaprop-spouting Constable Dogberry add to the fun.

Locations, dates, times and safety protocols will be posted on www.sfshakes.org at a later date, as will the creative team. In addition to performing in person in local parks, the company plans to make a close-captioned recording of the performance available for free online to continue serving its virtual audience and honor the Festival's commitment to making theater and Shakespeare as widely accessible as possible.

This will be the company's fourth production of Much Ado About Nothing, having previously staged it in 1987 (directed by Albert Takazaukas), 1997 (directed by Albert Takazaukas and Hector Correa), and most recently in 2005 (directed by Kenneth Kelleher).

The play was selected by the company's Resident Artists who felt, according to Artistic Director Rebecca J. Ennals, that "after the past 2 years, we were ready for a comedy." During the season planning process, the artists noted that Much Ado's humor isn't purely escapist - the darker side of life is very much present, and the lovers have to be brave enough to take risks and be willing to change. "It feels like a good story for our 40th," says Ennals. "Beatrice and Benedick aren't idealized young lovers, they have a history, and they've been burned in the past. Being brave enough to hope, to try again, to get back out there - their story feels right for this moment."

2022 marks San Francisco Shakespeare Festival's 40th anniversary. Since its beginning, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival has been bringing the words and themes of William Shakespeare to audiences throughout the Bay Area and beyond, regardless of their age, ethnicity, financial status, or level of education. The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival believes that Shakespeare experienced in a communal setting -­‐ whether it be outdoors, in a classroom, in a theater, or live online -­‐ elates the soul, inspires the mind, and unifies those who sit beside each other.

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