The John P. Stevens Theatre Company amazed their audience with their production of Much Ado About Nothing from November 14-16, directed by Ms. Allison Young, and student director Lev Bitterman. Much Ado About Nothing is one of William Shakespeare’s plays that combines love, comedy, and drama into one entertaining storyline.

“The fall play, Much Ado About Nothing, is a funny and entertaining play. I find myself laughing even though I’m part of the crew and I’m always backstage. I love working with the actors alongside Ms. Young, our directors, and I think the overall cast has amazing talent that can’t be replicated!” Said crew member, Raima Hasan. 

This sensational play was written in the late 16th century by William Shakespeare. The play takes place in Messina, Italy, and follows the two intertwined love stories of Beatrice and Benedick, who both initially denounce love and engage in witty banter. This play explores the love story of Hero and Claudio, who fall for each other instantly. However, their love is threatened by Don John, who is the resentful brother of Don Pedro who tries to concoct a plan to ruin Hero’s image and their wedding. After all of the schemes, and tricks, Beatrice and Benedick confess their love for each other, while Hero is found innocent, leading Claudio and Hero to rekindle their love. 

“The play was really fun and I loved the enemies-to-lovers aspect of the play. I also really enjoyed the dark sense of humor of the play,” said audience member Anjali Suryavanshi.  

The actors were able to spectacularly portray the emotions of the characters and bring Shakespeare’s characters to life. Senior Zara Diaz played Beatrice and portrayed the character with lots of energy and wit, while also matching the energy of sophomore Kaveesh Singh’s Benedick, and his character’s witty jokes and comments. Sophomore Sai Alahari who played Hero was able to portray the innocence and the emotion of heartbreak, while sophomore Aditya Chaturvedi, who played Claudio, gave a very heartfelt performance. All the actors, with supporting or lead roles, were able to bring lots of excitement and all had great chemistry with one another. 

“Beatrice was such an eye-opening role for me. She is such a witty and fun character and I’m glad I got the chance to bring her to life! It was so fun doing it with this cast and crew and I gained so much confidence with this show. I’m so proud of everyone and this was a great last play for my high school career!” Stated cast member, Zara Diaz. 

As for behind-the-scenes, the production crew’s effort had not gone unnoticed. The production crew was able to bring the setting Messina to life, with their props and the background. The sound and light assistants were able to create dramatic effects, which enhanced every scene and kept the audience on edge. The cast and crew spent countless hours during rehearsal and at home to ensure the play was the best it could be. As a result, many bonds and new friendships were the byproduct. The cast and crew created many memorable moments that can be cherished for many years to come. 

“The much ado about nothing production was magical. I loved spending time with the cast and crew and learning so much from them. I can’t wait for the musical!!!” said cast member Kaveesh Singh.  

This year’s production exemplified the John P. Stevens Theatre Company’s dedication, talent, hard work, and creativity. The cast and crew’s performance was remarkable and successfully brought the classical Shakespearean play to life.