Public Run: January 17 - 19 | 2025

2024-2025 Educational Engagement Production:

Much Ado About Nothing

“I love nothing in the world so well as you, is not that strange?”

Gamut Theatre, the combined theatre of Harrisburg Shakespeare Company and Popcorn Hat Players Children’s Theatre, presents its highly acclaimed educational outreach production of Much Ado About Nothing.

One of Shakespeare’s liveliest plays, this comedy interweaves two plots and two pairs of lovers.  Claudio and Hero, the romantic lovers, inspire poetry and music, but Beatrice, determined never to marry, and Benedick, a confirmed bachelor, are the witty vivacious lovers whose rapid word play will leave you reeling. Dogberry, the buffoonish investigator and his clueless band of watchmen make much ado about everything when they uncover the villainy of the wicked Don John and his plot to destroy the serenity of the town of Messina.

Recommended for ages 12 and up, Much Ado is extremely accessible, employing Gamut’s unique educational engagement style of bridging the most famous scenes from the play together into an easy-to-understand story. This dynamic show is performed by eight highly–talented actors, runs 100 minutes, and includes a talk-back discussion with the audience.

Much Ado About Nothing is available for reserved matinees and tours. You must contact the Resident Theatre Manager to schedule a matinee or tour.

Harrisburg Shakespeare Company (HSC) has been providing a unique and widely praised cultural resource to the Central PA community since 1994. HSC is best known for Free Shakespeare in the Park, which provides critically acclaimed free performances to thousands each summer. HSC produces shows at Gamut Theatre's Select Medical Mainstage and tours a Shakespeare work annually to high schools, middle schools and colleges, in addition to the annual Free Shakespeare in the Park. HSC is the Visiting Resident Theatre Company of Penn State York and host Shakespeare-based Continuing Legal Education programs with the Dauphin County Bar Association. We are internationally recognized as well: Melissa Nicholson, Executive Director, served as President of the Shakespeare Theatre Association, the preeminent Shakespeare Theatre organization in 2017; and HSC has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.