‘Much Ado About Nothing’ hits state park

Copper Culture hosting Shakespearean theater troupe for fun show
By: 
Lee Pulaski
City Editor

Wisconsin’s state parks are known for their beauty and history, but this summer will give visitors and residents alike a chance to sit back and watch Shakespearean theater come to life.

The Summit Players Theatre, based in Milwaukee, will be performing “Much Ado About Nothing” in 23 state parks — including Copper Culture State Park in Oconto. The free performance takes place June 25, starting with a workshop on William Shakespeare and his work, followed by a 75-minute scaled-down version of one of Shakespeare’s more famous comedies.

“Much Ado About Nothing,” believed to be written by the bard in 1598 or 1599, revolves around two romantic pairings that come together when a group of soldiers arrives in Messina, Italy. Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for one another, while Claudio is tricked into believing that Hero is not a maiden (what is referred to as a virgin today).

Summit Players first started in 2015 as a senior project of sorts for a group of students at Marquette University, according to executive director A.J. Magoon. However, the group’s popularity meant that the thespians needed to do something with it once college had ended for them.

“When we saw how successful and how appreciated it was, we made it into a full-fledged company,” Magoon said. “We’re an honest-to-God nonprofit, and we’re a little more above board than we were back then.”

One of the founding members of Summit Players, Hannah Klapperich-Miller, had taken a camping trip with her family prior to her senior year, according to Magoon, which is what prompted the idea of taking theater on the road to the state parks instead of performing it in a building. Besides highlighting the theater group, it draws attention to those hidden attractions in parks that some take for granted.

“There was this little amphitheater in Potawatomi (State Park in Door County), and it kind of made her think, ‘You know, there are a lot of these little amphitheaters and stage venues with benches,’” Magoon said. “You see them in all these state parks, but you don’t see them used a whole lot.”

The Summit Players selected “Much Ado About Nothing” for this summer’s show because of its lightheartedness and mirth, given the seriousness being felt in the world as communities are moving past the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s a great comedy. It’s a hilarious comedy,” Magoon said. “I think it’s fun to do. A lot of the shows we do are comedies because they tend to be the ones that are really fun for kids and families. This is not so serious — you’re not doing ‘Hamlet.’”

There are some messages in “Much Ado” that resonate today. Magoon noted that many of the characters lie to and deceive one another, and there are some mistaken identities that lead to wrong conclusions.

“I think there are applicable themes to the modern world,” Magoon said. “Even though it’s funny and it’s enjoyable, it’s a play that says something about an environment that people will really recognize as similar to the one they live in.”

Magoon said that the play was whittled down from its original five acts to a show that’s just over an hour by taking out some of the outdated references. He pointed out some of the metaphors and flowery language have not withstood the test of time, even though the overall theme and plots are still relevant.

“We like to say it’s Shakespeare’s work, but there’s a lot less of it,” Magoon said. “This is the kind of adaptation that’s meant to be understandable to everyone.”

The workshops, titled “Inside Shakespeare’s Story,” help to provide a little more understanding to the language used in the 16th and 17th centuries, allowing children and others who have not been exposed to Shakespeare’s work to translate what the playwright was trying to say in his shows, according to Magoon.

“The purpose is to give folks an interactive sort of access point to the show,” he said. “We start off playing some games, getting to know you, getting everyone to loosen up a little bit, and then we have a series of interactive exercises.”


lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com