To the Editor:
Some of us in the Tower Players feel that the coverage in last week’s Collegian of “Much Ado About Nothing” — as well as Tory Cooney’s accompanying editorial — have left matters somewhat unclear as to the nature of our production’s changes to Shakespeare. Those changes are as follows:
– The setting of the play has been changed from 1500s-era Messina, Italy to 1940s-era Washington, DC. (Period-appropriate music will be provided by an onstage 4-piece jazz combo.)
– The names of locations have been changed to reflect this. Mentions of “Messina” now refer to “Washington”, etc.
– The play’s antagonist, Don John, is now a woman named Joanna.
– Characters’ titles have been changed to suit the period and setting. Count Claudio is now Lieutenant Claudio, etc.
– The play has been shortened to allow for a more-conventional running time of around 2 hours.
-Shakespeare’s original language has not been altered, simply reduced in length.
We hope to see you all at what promises to be an enjoyable production, and a fond farewell to its director, David Griffiths.
Peter Kistler, a senior, will play Benedick in “Much Ado About Nothing.”