Much Ado About Nothing

Forward Theater’s current production, Lady Disdain, is a Lauren Gunderson reinvention of Much Ado About Nothing. University Theatre offers audiences a unique chance to compare-and-contrast with a staging of the Shakespeare original, directed by Baron Kelly. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday (no show on April 24), 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday.

$28 ($10 students).

media release: April 16-26, 2026, Ronald E. Mitchell Theatre

By William Shakespeare; directed by Baron Kelly

The quintessential romantic comedy. Sparks fly when the mutually disdainful Beatrice and Benedick engage in their war of words against marriage and each other. Against the backdrop of the impending wedding of young lovers Hero and Claudio, the friends of Beatrice and Benedick scheme to bring the sharp-tongued antagonists into a “mountain of affection.” Deception, reversals, and outright villainy threaten to ruin the nuptials but love triumphs over all with wit, merriment, and charm.

Content Advisory: This production contains themes of misogyny, emotional manipulation, and public shaming. It includes references to sex, deception, and staged death, as well as scenes of verbal aggression and implied threats of violence.

For more information visit https://theatre.wisc.edu/

This production is made possible with support from the Anonymous Block Grant.

Ticket Prices:$28 Adult; $23 Senior (62 +) or UW Faculty/Staff (ID); $10 UW Students and other College Students (ID or  Children (K-12); $17 Group Sales (10 tickets or more)

To Order Tickets:

1. Call 608-265-2787 (Open M-F 2-6 PM)

2. Online www.artsticketing.wisc.edu

3. Walk up sales: Mitchell Theatre Lobby Box Office opens 1 hour prior to performances forwalk up sales.