Elm Shakespeare Company Celebrates Joy, Community, and Second Chances with Much Ado About Nothing

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Fresh off being awarded a New Haven Arts Award, Elm Shakespeare Company invites audiences back to Edgerton Park in August for one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies, Much Ado About Nothing, running August 20 through September 6, 2026, everyday except Mondays at 7:30pm.

Directed by Benjamin Curns, this fresh outdoor production transports audiences to the hopeful days immediately following World War II, when communities longed to gather again, celebrate together, and imagine a brighter future. Set amid the optimism of the period, Elm Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing begins with dancing in the streets, returning soldiers, and the promise of new beginnings. Benedick arrives proclaiming he'll never fall in love, while Beatrice greets him with wit as sharp as a rapier. Their battle of words unfolds against a joyful community eager to celebrate peace—until rumor and deception threaten to tear everything apart.

The production reflects the same spirit of innovation and community engagement that earned Elm Shakespeare Company the New Haven’s prestigious Arts Award for reimagining what a classical theatre can be in the 21st century. Through bold artistic choices, free professional performances, groundbreaking education programs, and year-round community initiatives, the company continues to redefine how Shakespeare can inspire, connect, and serve contemporary audiences.

"Much Ado About Nothing reminds us that communities are defined not by whether conflict arises, but by how people choose to respond," said director Benjamin Curns. "Set just after the end of the war, this production asks what it takes to rebuild trust, restore joy, and find our way back to one another."

The production features members of Actors’ Equity Association Gregory Phelps as Benedick and Christina Acosta Robinson as Beatrice, Veda Baldota as Hero, Amrith Jayan as Don Pedro, , Elizabeth Daingerfield as Dogberry, James Keegan as Leonato, Gracy Brown as Antonio, and Sarah Bowles as Ursula and Feeble, and an accomplished company of local performers along with the Elm Shakespeare's Apprentice Company.