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When Don Pedro and his soldiers arrive in Messina, they bring with them two very different love stories.

Beatrice and Benedick, brilliant, fiercely independent, and apparently determined never to marry, wage a hilarious war of words against each other. Their friends decide that the only way to defeat these two verbal warriors is to trick them into believing that each secretly loves the other. The result is one of Shakespeare’s great comic romances and one of his most delightful explorations of how pride can disguise desire.

Meanwhile, the innocent Hero and the young Claudio fall in love, but their happiness is threatened by Don Pedro’s malcontent bastard brother, Don John. A carefully staged deception convinces Claudio that Hero has been unfaithful. He publicly humiliates her at their wedding, setting off a darker chain of events involving honor, reputation, jealousy, and forgiveness.

But the play doesn’t stay gloomy long. The sublimely inept Dogberry and his Watch accidentally uncover the truth, while Shakespeare fills the action with wit, mistaken impressions, eavesdropping, disguises, and verbal fireworks.

Much Ado About Nothing is much more than just a brilliant romantic comedy. It is a sparkling study of love, gossip, trust, deception, and human folly - while remaining immensely funny, theatrically lively, and irresistibly entertaining.

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(This is a Zoom online reading. The link will be available to Attendees in the 24 hours before the event begins.)

Registration for the event is now open.

Signup for roles will open on Saturday, September 5 at 1:00 PM Pacific Time. So please wait until then to submit role preferences!

The roles are posted in the Photos section of this event page. Please send your top 3 choices (in preference order) via Meetup Messages to the event host, Harry

The reading plan: We’ll read Acts 1 thru 3, take a short break, then return for Acts 4 & 5. After another short break to refill refreshments, we’ll open the floor for (always lively) discussions.

  1. Please become familiar with the play ahead of time, whether that means reading the play, watching a production on stage or on film, or reading a summary.
  2. You will need copy of the play, whether a paper book or an electronic version. You can download the play for free from the Folger Shakespeare website.
  3. Don't forget to update your RSVP if you find that you won't be able to make it.

We look forward to reading with you!

In the meantime, enjoy some wonderful productions:

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