Much Ado About Nothing is one of William Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. Written in the late Elizabethan period, this timeless classic has been popular since first performed by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Although initially produced in early modern England, the play draws upon Italian Renaissance works by Ariosto and Bandello, among others. Those Italian Renaissance sources account for the play’s setting in Messina, Sicily, and are the root of its main plot. While the action focuses on the young lovers Hero and Claudio, Much Ado is better known for its depiction of the “merry war” between Beatrice and Benedick. The dual courtships are at times aided and at times thwarted by an array of characters operating in and out of disguise. Through the love comedy’s twists and turns, the two sets of lovers----

WTF!?! Our director is going to bore you to tears and give away the plot! This is why we had to stage a takeover of this production of Much Ado About Nothing. The director calls the play a comedy, even though all this tragic stuff happens! She says the setting and characters are drawn from “Italian Renaissance works” (yawn), but the script has Italian, Spanish, and English characters all hanging out together in Sicily!? And those English characters have ridiculous names, like Verges and Dogberry!?! That’s right, Dog-berry! Don’t even get us started on the play’s representation of gender…Since nothing about the play makes sense, we decided to make our own sense out of it. We took over this production of Shakespeare’s script--which he took from other sources anyways—and made it mean something instead of nothing to us. We hope our Ado is meaningful to you!

Mission Statement

Our mission is to create Art in Action: theatre that is engaged and inclusive, rigorous and enjoyable, thoughtful and transformative. Theatre Arts at UofL challenges students to become critical thinkers who take pleasure connecting with local, national, and global communities through live performance. Graduates explore the world with the courage, discipline, and practical skills required of theatre artists—imagination, empathy, critical analysis, craftsmanship, problem solving, social awareness and collaboration.

Theatre Arts Department

Dating back to the founding of the University Dramatic Club in 1923, the Theatre Arts Department is committed to the development of its students as human beings and to nurturing their apprenticeship as theatre artists. The department fosters creativity, collaboration, discipline, and artistic growth in its students.  It embraces the theatre as a means of creative expression, cultural understanding, social development, and historical perspective. We train students in the fine art of theatre, voice, movement, scene study, and design and also teach the historical and literary context of the theatre as a humanist and liberal art.  All students are exposed to the diversity of multicultural theatre. The department strives to develop, disseminate, and preserve knowledge.  This knowledge includes the ability to understand the theatre arts, to appreciate them, and to create works of art that enhance the human condition.

African American Theatre Program (AATP)

Founded in 1993, the African American Theatre Program is integral to the Theatre Arts Department.  It develops theatre artists trained in the traditions of African American theatre and contributes to the multi-cultural arts movement.  The AATP includes two Mainstage productions a season, community service, touring, and eight courses for graduate and undergraduate students.  Subjects include theatre history, literature, performance, and theatre practicum.  Undergraduates can earn a minor in African American Theatre, while graduate students can earn a Graduate Certificate in African American Theatre.  These studies in African American theatre are unique among American universities.