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Much Ado About Nothing

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In Messina, everyone is an expert on love and a complete disaster at it. Austin Shakespeare brings William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing to Zilker Hillside Theatre from May 7–24, 2026. Admission is free, although donations will be accepted.

This production re-imagines Shakespeare's beloved comedy in 1950s Italy, drawing inspiration from the cinematic world of Federico Fellini — a world of sun-drenched piazzas, effortless style, and the gorgeous, aching gap between how we present ourselves and who we actually are. Lively music and song are woven throughout, evoking the irresistible soundtrack of Italian life and giving the production a warmth and rhythm that feels as natural under the open sky as the scheming and sparring at its heart. In this Messina, appearances are everything, gossip is currency, and falling in love is the one thing no self-respecting person will admit to wanting.

Sharp-tongued Beatrice and sworn bachelor Benedick spend most of the play loudly insisting they would rather do anything than fall in love — which fools absolutely no one. Around them, the considerably less self-aware romance of Hero and Claudio lurches toward catastrophe with the help of a villain, a case of mistaken identity, and the most gloriously comic police force in the Shakespeare canon. The result is the Bard at his most irresistible: a comedy of wit, pride, scheming and the thoroughly humbling power of love.

Audiences are encouraged to bring a blanket, pack a picnic and settle in for an evening under the stars. Much Ado About Nothing is suitable for all ages and requires no prior Shakespeare to enjoy.

In Messina, everyone is an expert on love and a complete disaster at it. Austin Shakespeare brings William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing to Zilker Hillside Theatre from May 7–24, 2026. Admission is free, although donations will be accepted.

This production re-imagines Shakespeare's beloved comedy in 1950s Italy, drawing inspiration from the cinematic world of Federico Fellini — a world of sun-drenched piazzas, effortless style, and the gorgeous, aching gap between how we present ourselves and who we actually are. Lively music and song are woven throughout, evoking the irresistible soundtrack of Italian life and giving the production a warmth and rhythm that feels as natural under the open sky as the scheming and sparring at its heart. In this Messina, appearances are everything, gossip is currency, and falling in love is the one thing no self-respecting person will admit to wanting.

Sharp-tongued Beatrice and sworn bachelor Benedick spend most of the play loudly insisting they would rather do anything than fall in love — which fools absolutely no one. Around them, the considerably less self-aware romance of Hero and Claudio lurches toward catastrophe with the help of a villain, a case of mistaken identity, and the most gloriously comic police force in the Shakespeare canon. The result is the Bard at his most irresistible: a comedy of wit, pride, scheming and the thoroughly humbling power of love.

Audiences are encouraged to bring a blanket, pack a picnic and settle in for an evening under the stars. Much Ado About Nothing is suitable for all ages and requires no prior Shakespeare to enjoy.

More about Austin Shakespeare
Austin Shakespeare presents professional theater of the highest quality with an emphasis on the plays of William Shakespeare, bringing to the public performances that are fresh, bold, imaginative, thought-provoking and eminently accessible, connecting the truths of the past with the challenges and possibilities of today From the teen actors in the Young Shakespeare Company’s summer program to professional actors, including members of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA / the union for professional stage actors and stage managers), Austin Shakespeare wants audiences to experience classical works that are grand in emotional scale, imaginative in vision and intimately truthful. Equity and non-Equity actors train together to embody the depth and breadth of Shakespeare’s characters -- and to speak the text with beauty, clarity and spontaneity. We seek to develop an approach to acting that spans two poles: from the intimacy of film experience to the grandeur of theatricality. As we perform regularly on a stage that is a replica of the outdoor Elizabethan, Curtain Theater, we discover more and more how to connect with the audience in ways that are accessible, energetic, imaginative and thoughtful.
When & Where
From May 7, 2026 to May 24, 2026
Thu: 8:00pm - 10:30pm Timezone: CDT
Fri: 8:00pm - 10:30pm Timezone: CDT
Sat: 8:00pm - 10:30pm Timezone: CDT
Sun: 8:00pm - 10:30pm Timezone: CDT
Free

No Registration required! Just show up!

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