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Much Ado

Directing Honors Thesis, March 2024

A blue figure in the middle struggles to escape. Pink figures surround them in a floral trap.

Poster by Iz Lee '27.

 

Rose Palmieri ’24 presents this new exploration of Shakespeare’s classic play, excavating the traditional story to find a newer, more uncertain love story quietly hiding behind the brouhaha of the comedy’s original courtship. “Much Ado” takes the text of “Much Ado About Nothing” and reframes it to explore ideas about womanhood, motherhood, and queer love. Beginning with lingering questions about the original play- Why doesn’t the heroine stand up for herself? Why are some characters silent and others bombastic? When do you fight tradition, and when do you succumb to it?- Palmieri strips down the cast to highlight what remains: a mother, a daughter, a fiancé, a lover, a friend, and two affectionate fools.

ASL interpretation at every performance.

Ivy Hoffman '27 - Beatrice
Madeline “Joe” Fox '27 - Benedick
Daniel Sun '27 - Claudio
Fiona Stewart '24 - Hero
Genine Collins '27 - Leanata
Sophia Pereda-Echeverry '25 - Margaret
Nikhil Tignor '24 - Pedro

Director - Rose Palmieri '24
Stage Manager - Eilis Skamarakas
Assistant Stage Manager - Prerna Karmacharya '26
Set - Victoria Gill-Gomez
Sound - Liz Atkinson
Lights - Isabella Gill-Gomez
Costume - LeVonne Lindsay
Intimacy - Colleen Hughes
Dramaturgy - Jack Pryor
Music - Whitney Grinnage-Cassidy '24

Sign Interpretation provided by SIGNINterpreting Services, LLC

 

The cast of "Much Ado".

Photo by Cara Anderson

Fiona Stewart '24 as Hero, with ASL interpreters in the background. 

Photo by Cara Anderson

Genine Collins '27 as Leanata

Photo by Cara Anderson

Madeline "Joe" Fox '27 as Benedick and Ivy Hoffman '27 as Beatrice

Photo by Cara Anderson

Sophia Pereda-Echeverry '25 as Margaret and Ivy Hoffman '27 as Beatrice

Photo by Cara Anderson

Daniel Sun '27 as Claudio

Photo by Cara Anderson

Madeline "Joe" Fox '27 as Benedick

Photo by Cara Anderson

Genine Collins '27 as Leanata, Daniel Sun '27 as Claudio, and Nikhil Tignor '24 as Pedro

Photo by Cara Anderson

Sophia Pereda-Echeverry '25 as Margaret and Ivy Hoffman '27 as Beatrice

Photo by Cara Anderson

Fiona Stewart '24 as Hero

Photo by Cara Anderson

Madeline  "Joe" Fox '27 as Benedick, Nikhil Tignor '24 as Pedro, Sophia Pereda-Echeverry '25 as Margaret, and Ivy Hoffman '27 as Beatrice 

Photo by Cara Anderson

Clockwise from top: Madeline "Joe" Fox '27 as Benedick, Ivy Hoffman '27 as Beatrice, Fiona Stewart '24 as Hero, Sophia Pereda-Echeverry '25 as Margaret

Photo by Cara Anderson

The cast of "Much Ado".

Photo / Cara Anderson
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