MUCH ADO ABOUT ADO
AND EVERY BIT WORTH THE FUSS

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Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Selina Cadell, is a reminder of what this company does best: Damn good Shakespeare that feels alive, precise, and joyously human.

Deborah Hay as Beatrice

Let’s face it: performing Shakespeare is a skill that many artists do not possess, even if they are astounding in other arenas. Here we have seasoned Shakespeare masters who truly understand and embody the Bard’s words. The ensemble delivers verse with such clarity that you feel the language spark in real time — the humor bubbles up naturally, and emotional turns hit with truthful force. This is the Bard deeply understood and confidently performed. Lest Shakespeare is cancelled by TikTok addicts as some old white dude, here is your opportunity to truly comprehend why he is celebrated as one of the greatest wordsmiths in history.

Debo Balogun as Don Pedro

Here’s the tale: nobleman and military commander Don Pedro and his soldiers arrive at the home of Leonato, where young Claudio falls instantly for Hero, Leonato’s daughter, the picture of innocence. Meanwhile, Claudio’s friend, the stubborn bachelor Benedick, resumes his long-running war of words with Beatrice — Hero’s cousin, a stubbornly independent woman and every bit his equal in razor-sharp wit. Don Pedro schemes to bring the couples together, and his illegitimate brother, Don John, plots mischief against them. Love blooms, denial persists, and deception (both playful and malicious) threatens to undo everyone’s happiness.

Mark Bedard as Benedick, with Samuel B. Jackson as Claudio

I don’t get easily star-struck anymore, but four actors here had me mentally rehearsing coherent sentences in case we met after the show. Sean Fortunato’s Dogberry — one of Shakespeare’s most uproarious comic creations — is a constable who butchers the English language with unwavering confidence. Fortunato plays him like a walking catastrophe of self-importance: physically fearless, verbally absurd, and every entrance a guaranteed laugh. It’s a masterclass in clownish bravado. Erik Hellman’s Don John was a black cat personified, complete with disinterested flopping around on the ground. He brings comedy to the villain of the story with a mischievous twitch of his tail. He almost made me root for Don John a little, against my better judgement.

The company

Thankfully, the romantic combat of Beatrice and Benedick, are also standouts. Deborah Hay’s Beatrice is everything I want her to be: irreverent, a little clumsy, bold and independent but still vulnerable and full of feeling under the façade. Her performance of the “O that I were a man” monologue brought tears to my eyes.  She is the perfect match for Mark Bedard’s Benedick, a witty, willful scorner of love with a heart of gold hiding underneath. Bedard mines every comedic moment and delivers us gold then turns around and makes us all fall in love with his good-hearted Benedick. Their banter isn’t just comedic; it’s Shakespearean fencing, flirtation disguised as warfare, in the spirit of Kate and Petruchio.

Deborah Hay and Mark Bedard as Beatrice and Benedick

These four do nothing to diminish the magnificent work of the many other Shakespeare masters, including Debo Balogun (Don Pedro), Kevin Gudahl (Leonato), Tiffany Scott (Margaret, one of Hero’s two waiting gentlewomen), and Jaylon Muchison (Friar/Verges/Balthasar). Cadell unites them into one buoyant, harmonious ensemble.

Felicia Oduh as Ursula and Mi Kang as Hero

The design elements create a beautiful canvas for the play to unfold on. Scenic and costume designs by Tom Piper are elegant and timeless, placing us neither in 1598 Sicily, nor in 2025 Chicago, but somewhere that has perhaps always existed and will always continue to exist. Costumes are simple, appropriate for the characters, and never distract. The warm, earthy beige and green color pallet of both set and wardrobe creates a soft romantic quality.

Go see this. Truly. Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favorite Shakespeare comedies, and I can’t imagine a better production right now. I love it with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.

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photos by Kyle Flubacker

Much Ado About Nothing
Chicago Shakespeare
Courtyard Theater on Navy Pier
ends on December 21, 2025
for tickets, call 312.595.5600 or visit Chicago Shakes

for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago

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