Much Ado About Nothing: A Reading in the Original Pronunciation

Weyard Ensemble Theater presented a performance of Much Ado About Nothing: A Reading in the Original Pronunciation at Arts at the Armory in Somerville, Massachusetts, livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 12 May at 7:30 p.m. EDT (Boston) / 6:30 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 4:30 p.m. PDT (San Francisco).

The performance will be approximately 90 minutes and will be followed by a short talk back. Join the conversation by tweeting us @weyard_ensemble or with #MuchAdoOP or #howlround.

Listen to Shakespeare anew as the Weyard Ensemble recreates the historical dialect of 16th century London. Posh old notions of this classic text give way to the earthy, rustic sounds of Early Modern English, and conventional wisdom surrounding Shakespearean elocution is turned on its head. Original Pronunciation resonates with many contemporary dialects in practice and surprises many with how easy it is to understand. Based on the scholarly work and publications of David Crystal.

Directed and coached by Daniel Thomas Blackwell.

Cast in Order of Speech:  
Anthony Amoroso as Leonato, Sexton
Lelaina Vogel as Messenger, Antonio, Friar
Olivia Caputo as Beatrice
Caitlyn Jones as Hero, Watch
Matt Ciommo as Don Pedro, Verges
Sylvia Sword as Benedick
Erica Jade Simpson as Don John, Dogberry
Kevin Paquette as Claudio, Watch
Isabel Dollar as Conrade, Ursula
Marianne Phinney as Borachio, Margaret

Weyard Ensemble Theater is a fledgling company in the Boston area with an eye towards gender parity in classical theater. 

About HowlRound TV

HowlRound TV is a global, commons-based peer produced, open access livestreaming and video archive project stewarded by the nonprofit HowlRound. HowlRound TV is a free and shared resource for live conversations and performances relevant to the world's performing arts and cultural fields. Its mission is to break geographic isolation, promote resource sharing, and to develop our knowledge commons collectively. Participate in a community of peer organizations revolutionizing the flow of information, knowledge, and access in our field by becoming a producer and co-producing with us. Learn more by going to our participate page. For any other queries, email [email protected], or call Vijay Mathew at +1 917.686.3185 Signal/WhatsApp. View the video archive of past events.