Much Ado About Nothing Univ. of Southern Mississippi

Scenic Design & Technical Direction, Spring 2019

Director: Monica Hayes

Lighting Design: Tiffany Nabors

Costume Design: Erin Jester

TMuch Ado About Nothing is a romp through an idealized coastal Italy, celebrating brash young love, biting quick wit, and the value of a happily ever after. Our director wanted to explore the idea of deception hiding in plain sight, with the bones of the play being visible from the beginning. We opted out of a specific time period, choosing to embrace the broad romanticism of the script.

One of the things that attracted me to Much Ado is the celebration of femininity, and of the strength of Beatrice herself. We wanted to celebrate that romantic femininity in this picturesque Italian garden, with “flowers” and “ivy” draping overhead in bright colors. The steel columns, reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Globe, provided that see-through deception. The center unit functioned as the idyllic garden fountain, but would break apart to serve as furniture as the scene needed.