OREM — Throughout November, the Utah Valley University Department of Theatrical Arts
for Stage and Screen will present an adaptation of the classic Shakespeare play, “Much
Ado About Nothing.” The play is set in 1945, just as WWII was coming to a close.
This portrayal features the female lead, Beatrice, as a “Rosie the Riveter”-style hero with her sharp words and independent streak. Her rival-turned-lover, Benedick, is a returning war hero. Traditional gender roles are confronted as women who went to work are finding that they are now expected to return home.
“The show has been ‘surgically adapted’ with updated grammar, but I have preserved Shakespeare's dialogue wherever possible,” director John Newman said. “The imagery and meaning of the lines will be as vivid to a contemporary audience as the play was to Shakespeare's original audience.”
The chemistry between Beatrice and Benedick is indisputable. And with some songs from the big band era, lively music will serve as the backdrop to the banter and battle of the sexes of these two leads.
“Often, it is adults who struggle with Shakespeare because they come upon something they don’t fully understand and it trips them up,” Newman said. “With children, they experience that all the time — so they just adapt and learn in the moment.”
Three of the child cast members are graduates of the Noorda summer camp.
Free admission is being offered on Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11) at 7:30 p.m. for anyone who was alive in 1945.
All ages are welcome.
“Much Ado About Nothing” will be performed in the Noorda Black Box Theater on Nov. 9-10 and 12-17 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee performance on Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $14 for the general public, $10 for students and seniors, and $5 for children under 18. To purchase tickets in advance, visit: uvu.universitytickets.com or Campus Connection. Tickets are also available at the door.
University Marketing & Communications
Scott Trotter
801-863-6807 | [email protected]
Barb Smith
801-863-5274 | [email protected]
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At 39,931 students and growing, Utah Valley University is the largest public university in the state of Utah, and one of a few in the nation offering a dual-mission model that combines the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college. UVU’s unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs and faculty-mentored research, is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.