By Kimberly Rau
The 2026-27 season at Burbage in Pawtucket kicks off with Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing ,” a comedy about love, wit, and second chances…and gossip and betrayal, and at least one near-death experience.
The plot, very quickly: The war is over and the soldiers are coming home. The young Claudio falls for the young noblewoman, Hero, and sets about trying to win her heart. Meanwhile, Hero’s cousin, the sharp-witted and -tongued Beatrice, is working hard to keep the equally quick Benedick, who has sworn to never marry, in his place. But mischief is afoot, as friends embrace the prospect of love, and foes attempt to foil them at every turn.
“Much Ado” is a bizarre, hilarious play, and under Stephen Thorne’s direction, it comes to life in wonderful ways. The production is somewhat modernized (the costumes are updated, there’s familiar music, but no one’s running around with phones playing with Snapchat), and beautifully rendered, with a talented cast taking pains to make sure not one word of the Bard’s irreverent humor goes amiss.
Alison Russo and Jeff Church play Beatrice and Benedick, respectively, and more than do justice to their characters’ enemies-to-lovers arc. Both have a good handle on Shakespeare: Church gave an excellent performance at Hamlet at the Gamm in 2025, and Russo was one of the highlights of Trinity Rep’s “La Tempestad – The Tempest” that same year. Seeing them interact on stage is a privilege.
Tatiana Sullivan makes her Burbage debut as the sweet-spirited Hero, who can scarcely think of a bad word to say about anyone (this doesn’t stop people from eventually saying plenty about her). She’s well cast in this role, and will hopefully return for future productions. Hero’s handmaidens are Margaret (Naomi Mudge) and Ursula (Nayeli Vazquez), both excellent character roles that Mudge and Vazquez play to the hilt in the best way.
Chris DePina is the fair-weather Claudio. He’s quick to love, and quick to rely on his friends for help, but equally quick to jump to conclusions at the slightest bit of betrayal. DePina walks this line nicely, and he and Sullivan have a strong rapport on stage.
Our primary villain is Don John, half-sibling to the prince Don Pedro and frequently called “the bastard.” She is angry at just about everyone in the show (and with a nickname like that, who can blame her?), and takes it out on Claudio and Hero by trying to ruin their wedding. This is well-executed by Julia Curtin.
The theater is small, just 77 seats, meaning there isn’t a bad spot in the house, and the set (designed by Trevor Elliott) is visually interesting, as well as practical for the amount of physicality it must withstand (Church and Russo particularly make it their playground during certain parts of Act 1, proving they are also adept at physical comedy. I think I’d watch them in just about anything.)
If you love Shakespeare, you’ll rejoice in how well-adapted Burbage’s production is. It’s marvelously updated while still being true to the script and all it’s meant to convey. If you’re a bit wary (particularly if your only exposure was in high school), fear not – even if you know nothing of the play going in, you’re in good hands at Burbage. These people really get Shakespeare, and you’ll leave with a new appreciation for the craft.
“Much Ado About Nothing” runs through Oct. 11, 2026, at the Burbage Theatre, located in the Wendy Overly Studio Theatre, 59 Blackstone Ave., Pawtucket. Tickets may be obtained at www.burbagetheatre.org/.
