Much Ado Synopsis
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
A Shakespeare comedy with a little drama thrown into the mix! We will be doing an abridged version of the play, trimming down the five acts to two, possible three, which has been the standard for our Spring Black box plays. There are a lot of characters, opportunities for a small ensemble to dance and sing, small speaking parts, large speaking parts, time period adjustments, changing characters’s gender or having genders walk different roles. Pretty much, it’s Shakespeare and we can do what we want!
CHARACTERS and SYNOPSIS
Don Pedro: a duke/prince. Just won a battle against his brother, John the Bastard. Well intentioned leader and friend, but still fallible. He believes John has turned a new leaf. How wrong he is!
Benedick: best friend to Don Pedro. Very comedic, known for his way with words and for keeping his friends and soldiers merry. His favorite verbal sparring partner is Beatrice, his ex-girlfriend. Underneath the humor though, Benedick is a person of honor who does not often allow himself to feel deeply.
Claudio: a young, wealthy, titled person. He falls in love with Hero, the only child of a wealthy landowner and leader of the city of Messina (where they are resting after their battle). He is young, however, and is easily swayed to think the worst. Perhaps it is because he trusts easily? Perhaps it is position within the community that makes him so. Either way, he shows his love, mistrust, and temper with equal fervor.
Beatrice: a lovely, witty person, with a big heart and a sharp tongue. She delights in a battle of wits and wordplay amongst friends, but when faced with her ex, Benedick, she can be abrupt and even a bit cruel. She’s still hurting from their breakup and uses her wit as a defense mechanism. Family is very important to her and when Hero is slandered, the anger in her heart at being “only” a woman with no power to help comes forward.
Hero: a beautiful young person, completely enamored with her fiancé, Claudio. In the beginning, she shows not much more than the trappings of being good looking, wealthy, and playing the role her father wishes her to play. However, she grows to find her place and demand a more equal footing with her would-be husband.
Leonato: Hero’s father and the Lord of Messina. A wealthy man. He also is fallible and swayed by the word of “honorable” men over his own child. But, he is a caring man, cares for his people, and cares for his family. He is old school, but does learn his lesson.
John the Bastard: a villain through and through. He has just lost a battle against his brother, Don Pedro.Even though Don Pedro has extended a hand in friendship to him, John would rather create whatever havoc he can.
Dogberry: The Leader of The Watch, a group of people assigned to watch over Messina and Signoir Leonato’s household the night before Hero and Claudio’s wedding. He is, by his own words, an ass, a hilarious one, who takes his job very seriously. It is only by sheer luck that he is successful!
Verges: Dogberry’s right hand person. Totally devoted to the craziness that is his boss.
Conrad and Borrachio: John the Bastard’s henchmen. Equal parts amusing and evil, though Borachio is repentant by the end. The two help John spread his lies that threaten to ruin their rivals.
Margaret and Ursula: Ladies in waiting to Hero. Both joyful people, very devoted to their lady’s happiness and agree to set a love trap for Beatrice. Margaret becomes the victim of a terrible trick John the Bastard and his henchmen concoct.
Antonio: Leonato’s brother
Balthazar: a member of Don Pedro’s army. He also entertains the group with his songs.
Imogen: Leonato’s wife. She is a silent presence
The Friar Additional members of the Watch, about 4 The Sexton Messengers
Villagers of Messina Musicians Law Enforcement
This play revolves around lies, disguise, and eavesdropping. Throw in a clown or two, a song, and lots of laughter, you’ve pretty much got Much Ado About Nothing. But! If you are looking for a bit more detail, read the below. There is more here than described; it’s Shakespeare after all, hard to describe in a few sentences. Since it’s one of his comedies, everything pretty much fits together!
The synopsis, in brief:
The play covers approximately one week. Upon their arrival in Messina, Claudio makes his intentions know to Don Pedro, to marry the fair Hero. However, he is nervous about proposing so the Duke offers to help him. To celebrate their safe return, Leonato is throwing a masked ball. Don Pedro will woo Hero in disguise, under the name Claudio, and once she accepts, he will reveal himself and insure that Hero’s father, Leonato, approves of the match. Who would refuse the Duke after all?
Unfortunately, Boracchio, Don John’s lackey, overhears the plot and reports back to his master. Don John and his followers are determined to create havoc and plant the seeds of doubt in Claudio’s ear, the the Duke is in fact in love with Hero and intent on wooing her for himself. Claudio believes him.
However, this is quickly proved false by the Duke’s arrival with Hero and Leonato, announcing the engagement of Hero and Claudio. Don John is not happy.
With the wedding one week away, the merry friends of the Duke decide to spend their time wisely, trying to get Benedick and Beatrice to fall in love with each other! Through rumor and the power of eavesdropping, Benedict and Beatrice begin to see each other in a new light and vow, separately, to love each other, even if they never admit it to each other.
In a last effort to cause damage to ruin the happy band of friends, Boracchio woos Hero’s lady’s maid, Margaret, a woman with whom he has a history, the evening before Claudio’s wedding. He does this in the dark night, where, with Don John’s help, Claudio and Don Pedro come by. Don John convinces them that it is Hero being wooed, and that she is disloyal and has been sleeping with this unidentified man (remember it’s dark). Claudio is hurt, betrayed and outraged. Don John suggests that if he loves her, marry her the next day, but otherwise, she should be returned to her father.
Throughout all this, we meet the “clown” of this Shakespeare play, Dogberry, and his faithful companion, Verges. Dogberry is the leader of the Watch, who have vowed to protect the citizens and visitors of Messina on the eve of the big wedding. Dogberry has no idea really how to run a watch and has a terribly funny habit of using the wrong words when he is trying to sound important. :) His fellow watch members are slightly less ridiculous, but it is such extreme good luck that they overhear a gloating Boracchio confess his evil deeds to Conrad. The two villains are captured by the Watch and taken to jail.
The following day, at the wedding, Claudio and Don Pedro publicly accuse Hero of cheating on Claudio. Don Pedro expresses his displeasure in Leonato for allowing him to sanction this marriage. Through all the drama and accusations, Hero falls, unconscious to the ground. The Duke and Claudio leave with Don John. Hero finally comes to and after much back and forth, Benedick proclaims that his two friends must have been deceived by Don John and that he is the cause of all this. The Friar concocts a plan to restore Hero’s good name, make Claudio and Don Pedro see the errors of their ways, and hopefully unite all the friends and lovers once again. They will say Hero died, the pain of her slander too much to bear. Claudio and Don Pedro will feel such remorse at causing her death and once it’s uncovered that they were led astray by John the bastard villain, they will repent and seek forgiveness.
Well, to make a long story short, this happens and it works! Dogberry brings forth Boracchio and Conrad, who confess everything, feeling their own remorse for causing a death. Don John flees. Benedick and Beatrice finally confess their love for each other (there’s more drama here due to Beatrice’s continued anger towards Claudio) There is a dramatic reveal of Hero being alive! Don John is found and brought back to Messina. Benedick proses to Beatrice. And everyone has learned a hard lesson. Lots of dancing and singing ensues.
The End