The Arkansas Shakespeare Theater has partnered with the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Central Arkansas to bring Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing to life after a two-year break.
COVID-19 closed the doors of many theaters, and the AST was no different. Executive director of the theater, Shauna Meador said it wasn’t a surprise to see so much turnover during the pandemic, but it has presented new challenges.
“We’re really kind of starting from scratch, which is making it kind of interesting trying to gear back up because a lot of the institutional knowledge has gone away,” Meador said.
With everything reopening over the last year, Meador felt it was a good time to dust off the spotlights and try some new things out during this transition year.
Since graduation in May, AST has been working closely with the graduate program in Fayetteville to put together the show and create an educational emphasis in the theater.
Since UCA doesn’t have a graduate program in theater, AST went to Fayetteville to work with the students there. The students rehearsed eight hours a day for 18 days, working tirelessly on the set, costumes, music and lines.
Director of the play, Stacy Pendergraft, said AST decided on Much Ado About Nothing because “We wanted a comedy and we were drawn to romance. We wanted to create a beautiful world for our audience. Much Ado offers great roles for women and men.”
Meador said by partnering with the U of A, AST serves as professional experience while working in an educational environment. AST also provides a week of speciality training before rehearsals start in different areas such as a stage combat, dagger and rapier training.
Pendergraft said that the biggest challenge in bringing the show together was bringing all the people together. Having students from one school, staff from another and a director from UALR has forced everyone to come together for a “unique collaboration.”
“We are bringing AR professionals together in design and performance, along with graduate and undergraduate students in all areas of theater to bring Much Ado to life. We are producing the work in two very different venues and rehearsing in two venues,” Meador said. “For example, we began rehearsals in Conway on the Bridges Larsen proscenium stage. And yet the set and costumes were being constructed on the UA campus. We then opened the show on the Global campus thrust stage in Fayetteville. That is quite challenging to manage. It requires all collaborators to fire on all levels, and yet the process we are engaged in right now is incredibly alive and exhilarating.”
AST hasn’t picked a season for the upcoming year but they plan to continue their collaboration with Fayetteville.
There are also talks of bringing back the youth company next year, along with providing professional development training for high school and junior high teachers in conjunction with the AST festival.
Meador believes that the youth company was “a really beneficial part of the production and a great thing for the community, and it really fits into that educational mission…”
The theater will be performing Much Ado About Nothing at the Central Arkansas Bridges Larson Theater in Snow Fine Arts Center from June 23-25, June 30 and July 1. Tickets are $15 for students and $20 for the general public.
Pendergraft expects the show to be a real hit with the audience and teach them lessons about love and relationships.
“I want the audience to feel joy at being in the theater again. I want them to fall in love with the story and the characters. I want them to find the language accessible,” Meador said.