Johnston Man Stars in Shakespeare Classic

The University of Rhode Island Theatre Department will present Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, starting on Thursday, April 18, with a Johnston native playing a big role.

This production will feature several graduating seniors who have dazzled audiences for most of their years in Kingston. The show is scheduled for April 18-20 and April 25-27 at 7:30 p.m., and April 21 and 28 at 3 p.m. in the Robert E. Will Theatre in the URI Fine Arts Center on the Kingston Campus.

General admission for the performance is $20; $15 for seniors and URI staff; and $12 for students. Call 401-874-5843 or or visit www.uri.edu/theatre for tickets.

Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy in which the intelligent, witty Beatrice matches wits with the dull, cynical Benedick. Two of URI's top performers — Olivia Khoshatefeh of Mansfield, MA, and Andrew Burnap of South Kingstown — will bring the verbal sparring of the Bard's top characters to stage before they leave for their graduate studies at Brown and Yale, respectively.

In Much Ado, their merry war engages us throughout a love story involving Beatrice's cousin, Hero — Alex Maynard of Providence — and Benedick's friend, Claudio — Ben Miller of Barrington — that goes awry when Hero is falsely accused of betrayal.  

It takes the comic Constable Dogberry, played by Johnston’s Americo Lanni and his hilarious troops, to uncover the truth. And it takes true love for Benedick to believe in Beatrice’s loyalty to Hero and to commit himself to her course of action.  

Much Ado may seem to be about nothing, but it is essentially about the attractions of a woman's mind and character on a perennial bachelor. It is a lighthearted romp rooted in the depth of the battle of the sexes.

The show is directed by URI Associate Theater Professor Bryna Wortman, whose recent directorial credits include A View From the Bridge, The Sea Gull, Spinning Into Butter, Unbound and Small Tragedy.

Additional members of the design team include costumes by guest artist Marilyn Salvatore, set design by URI alum Cheryl deWardener, lighting design by guest artist Kathy Giebler and choreography by URI Alum Carol Pegg.

Actor, Character, Hometown

• Rick Bagley, Leonato’s Brother, Newport
• Julia Bartoletti, Sexton, Charlton, Mass.
• Andrew Burnap, Benedick, South Kingstown
• Christine Dickinson, Messenger, Musician, Balthasar understudy, Woonsocket
• Danielle Dube, Ursula, Providence
• Amaris Gagnon, Watchman #2, Springfield, Mass.
• Brandon Gailliard, First Watchman, West Warwick
• Diego Guevara, Boy, Claudio undersudy, East Greenwich
• Lauren Hanson, Seacole, East Greenwich
• Benjamin Hill, Leonato, Hartford, CT
• Patrick Keeffe, Barrachio, Don Pedro understudy, North Kingstown
• Oliva Khoshatefeh, Beatrice, Mansfield, MA
• Americo Lanni, Constable Dogberry, Johnston
• Sarah Leach, Margaret, Smithfield
• Alex Maynard, Hero, Providence
• Rachel Marshall, Musician, 1st Watchmen understudy, Littleton, MA
• T.S. McCormick, Verges/Friar, Providence
• Benjamin Miller, Claudio, Barrington
• Justin Morrison, Second Watchman,  Musician, Barrachio understudy, North Kingstown
• Katherine Riley, Balthasar, Hero understudy, Hillsdale, NJ
• Philip L. Ryng, Conrade, North Kingstown
• Lauren Ashley Thiele, Sexton, messenger understudy, Muskegan, MI
• Mark Tiberiis, II, Don Pedro, Pawtucket