UW Theatre and Dance Presents ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ April 10-12, 16-18

Ditch the doublets and dispatches for denim, and dial up.

The University of Wyoming Department of Theatre and Dance is trading in the Renaissance for the dot-com revolution in a 1990s-inspired reworking of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing."

Adapted and directed by guest artist Dee Dee Batteast, the production runs Friday-Saturday, April 10-11, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, April 16-18, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, April 12, at 2 p.m. in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts Thrust Theatre.

Tickets are available at www.tix.com/ticket-sales/uwyo/6984,in person or at (307) 766-6666 at the Performing Arts box office, Monday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m. and one hour before performances.

UW's production transports Shakespeare's "rom-com" from 16th-century Sicily to fall 1997 Messina, a small Midwestern town. Instead of soldiers returning from war to an idyllic respite, this rendition follows a local garage band returning home for a breather after making it big.

A homecoming celebration for the band provides the perfect setting for love to bloom, and soon the idealistic Claudio and Hero fall head over heels for each other. Meanwhile, "all that" hometown girl Beatrice and hotshot band member Benedick have sworn off love, preferring to exchange verbal jabs rather than affection. That is, until their friends conspire to get them together.

But, beneath the laughter and escapades, a jealous plot threatens to shatter reputations and ruin a wedding, upsetting Messina's small-town harmony. Surrounded by bumbling watchmen, mistaken identities and high-stakes gossip, will the couples learn to stop fighting and start loving, or will false rumors win the day? In this delightful battle of wits and outright celebration of passion, poetry and wordplay, the path to true love is filled with "much ado" indeed.

Complementing the setting, the UW production features a soundtrack of '90s hits that mirror the play's humor and heart, including songs from Third Eye Blind, Backstreet Boys and Sixpence None the Richer.

Guest artist Batteast is an adjunct acting faculty member for Ball State's BFA program, where she teaches courses in beginning acting, audition, one-person shows and Shakespeare. She also coaches Ball State's professional showcases in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. A former PlayMakers Repertory Company member, Batteast's regional credits include American Players Theatre, Studio Theatre and The Goodman. She also has worked with Virginia Stage Company and Indiana Repertory Theatre. Batteast's TV credits include "Chicago Fire," "The Shining Girls" and "Chicago Med."