Much Ado About Nothing On The Town Green

Viola Lapham, 4, and her brother, Thomas Lapham, 8, were on the Guilford Town Green Monday morning helping their dad set up for the free production of Much Ado About Nothing to be performed on the Guilford green Wednesday through Sunday, August 7 to 11. 

They were helping out by staying busy with their own production, which included a cooler, a couple of boxes, and a pink blanket with white polka dots under which Viola dashed as soon as it was spread out. 

Their dad, Jeffrey Lapham, the executive director of Shakesperience Productions Inc., says Thomas will be one of many actors putting on the show this week in Guilford. He will appear as the Boy Messenger. Viola, no doubt busy with her pink blanket and white polka dot production number, will not be appearing in this show. "But we're in negotiations with her agent," her dad said with a smile. "She may appear in A Christmas Carol this year. Perhaps as Ignorance or Want." 

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare offers a tangled plot about love, marriage, revenge, and retribution. Read this synopsis at the Shakespeare Resource Center if you want to learn more. 

The Shoreline Arts Alliance and Shakespearience Productions are putting on the free show Wednesday through Sunday. It will start at 7:30 p.m. each night. Attendees are welcome to bring picnic baskets, blankets, and chairs for this 12th anniversary show. 

This year, there will be "talk-back" sessions prior to the Wednesday, August 7th production and Friday, August 9th production, thanks to a grant from the CT Humanities. The pre-show talks will be offered at 6:30 p.m. and post-show talks will take place immediately after the shows. 

"All are welcome and the talk backs are free to attend. Just proceed to the tent adjacent to the stage and enjoy some lively discussion on Shakespeare's language, theme, characterization and plot of Much Ado About Nothing," the Shoreline Arts Alliance says on their website. 

2013 sponsors of this production include: Mary & Jeff Beeman, Chubb Insurance, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development-Office of the Arts, CT Humanities, Liz & Niall Ferguson, First Niagara Bank, Guilford Foundation, Guilford Fund for Education, Guilford Savings Bank,National Roofing, NewAlliance Foundation, Sennheiser Electronic Corporation, Shore Publishing Newspapers, Town of Guilford, Yale-New Haven Hospital.