Much Ado About Nothing
This is Shakespeare's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING...done in the original words of the bard. The setting, however, is a wine vineyard located in San Diego, CA. The time is the latter half of the 1940's just after the end of WWII. The words and characters of the show lend themselves well to this re-staging. Instead of soldiers returning from a successful campaign, we have sailors returning to port after the finish of a great war. All of the drama and comedy is here. Certain characters were changed from male to female to give the more timely feel to the production. Re-settings of Shakespeare do not always work...but this one did!
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Please note
Photos are from a specific production. Your costumes may vary due to size and availability.
Sailors
About the Costume
Authentic WWII Navy Uniforms consisting of blouse, pants, tie, and gob hat.
About the Character
These three characters, Benedick, Claudio, and Barachio, are returning home at the end of WWII. Claudio to his love, Hero...Benedick to an uncertain love life...and Barachio to a life of drink and fun.
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Benedick
About the Costume
In addition to his naval uniform, Benedick is given a 3 piece dark suit for the wedding scene. he is also seen at other times without the jacket and sometimes in shirt sleeves.
About the Character
Benedick is our "devil may care" erstwhile hero. During the course of the show, he is tricked into declaring love for Beatrice, but by the end of the show, that love is real.
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Beatrice
About the Costume
Here we see Beatrice dressed in a "ROSIE THE RIVETER" style which was a very iconic look during the war years. She has the traditional striped t-shirt with high waisted pants and a bandana tying up her hair.
About the Character
Beatrice is a very headstrong and independent woman which is why we chose to dress her in this manner.
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Beatrice
About the Costume
Beatrice is wearing a dark green dress with white polka dots.
About the Character
Beatrice is realizing that she is actually falling in love with Benedick whom she has always considered to be something of a cad.
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Hero
About the Costume
Hero is wearing a bright flower pattern dress.
About the Character
Hero is Leonato's daughter and cousin to Beatrice. She is in love with Claudio and expecting to marry him soon.
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Hero
About the Costume
Hero is wearing a white dress of the period with a headpiece and veil for her wedding.
About the Character
Hero is in love with Claudio and ready to marry him, but is here seconds from having her heart broken when Claudio rejects her.
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Claudio
About the Costume
Claudio is wearing a grey two-piece suit with shirt, tie, and suspenders for his wedding. At other times he appears without the jacket and tie.
About the Character
Claudio is in love with Hero and ready for marriage to her. He is, however, fooled into believing that Hero is being unfaithful to him and rejects her at the wedding.
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Leonato
About the Costume
Leonato is wearing a three-piece suit of the period.
About the Character
Leonato is the owner of a very successful wine vineyard. He is the father of hero and uncle to Beatrice and best friend of Don Pedro.
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Antonia
About the Costume
Antonia is wearing a burgundy dress with flowered pattern typical of the period.
About the Character
Antonia is the sister of Leonato. (This role is usually Antonio, brother of Leonato.)
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Don Pedro
About the Costume
Don Pedro is wearing a naval Officer's uniform with jacket, white pants, white hat, shirt, and tie.
About the Character
Don Pedro is the commanding officer of a group of sailors and the best friend of Leonato.
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Don Pedro
About the Costume
For the wedding scene, Don Pedro has a two-piece suit of the period.
About the Character
Don Pedro is the invited guest of Leonato staying in his villa and attending the wedding of Leonato's daughter, Hero.
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Don John
About the Costume
Don John is wearing a Naval Officer Uniform. (He also has a suit for the wedding not shown here.)
About the Character
Don John is the brother of Don Pedro. He has a big chip on his shoulder for the way he feels that life has treated him.
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Barachio
About the Costume
Barachio has a suit for the wedding as well as a naval uniform, but is seen most often in this look with shirt, pants, and suspenders sans jacket.
About the Character
Barachio is a drinker and a troublemaker. Conspiring with Don John and Conrad, he sets up the trick to make Claudio believe that Hero is cheating on him. This picture shows him being brought to justice.
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Margaret
About the Costume
Margaret is wearing a belted skirt and blouse set of the period.
About the Character
Margaret works at the vineyard and is a friend of Hero.
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Conrad
About the Costume
Conrad is wearing a purple dress of the period.
About the Character
Conrad is a woman of somewhat low morals. (This is usually a male role) She helps Don Jon and Barachio with their scheme to discredit Hero.
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Ursula
About the Costume
Ursula is also wearing a skirt and blouse set of the period.
About the Character
Ursula is another of Hero's friends who works at the vineyard.
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Dogberry
About the Costume
Dogberry is wearing a security guard uniform consisting of jacket, pants, shirt, tie and hat.
About the Character
Dogberry is the head of the Watchmen who are the security force for Leonato's vineyard. He and the Watchmen are the comic relief/buffoon characters of this play.
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Seacole & Verges
About the Costume
Seacole is dressed in uniform similar to that worn by Dogberry. Verges (in this case played by a female) wears a uniform consisting of jacket, skirt, shirt, tie and cap.
About the Character
Seacole is a member of the Watchmen. Verges is Dogberry's second in command.
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Sexton
About the Costume
The Sexton is wearing a khaki jacket, skirt, and cap.
About the Character
The Sexton (usually a male role) has arrived to make an official record of the apprehending of Barachio and Conrad and the charges against them.
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Friar (Chaplain)
About the Costume
The Friar (in this case the female Chaplain) is wearing a black uniform coat, white blouse, tie and skirt with a woman's military cap.
About the Character
Usually this is a male role, but in this case a female chaplain has replaced the Friar. She officiates Claudio and Hero's wedding. After Claudio rejects hero, this character comes up with the plan of Hero pretending to be dead in order to ferret out the culprits who started the slanderous problems.
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Wedding Scene
About the Costume
For the wedding scene, the female characters were given jackets and hats to be worn over their dresses to add a more formal look to their attire.
About the Character
Hero's friends and relatives attending the wedding ceremony.
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Marriage
About the Costume
Hero is wearing a veil that hides her identity.
About the Character
True love does triumph! A broken hearted Claudio agrees to (sight unseen) marry a woman he believes to be Hero's cousin. It is Hero under that veil!
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Brides
About the Costume
Beatrice, Ursula, and Margaret all wear matching wedding veils to the one Hero is wearing.
About the Character
The women are concealing their identities along with Hero so that Claudio will not suspect what is happening.
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