Final Weekend for *Much Ado*!

Final Weekend for Flatwater Shakespeare's

Much Ado About Nothing Summer 2013 Tour of Lincoln! 

Two nights (Thursday and Friday) at Wyuka Pond, near 36th and O Streets. 

One night (Saturday) at Belmont Park, 12th and Judson. 

Closing night at Bethany Park, 65th and Vine. 

We recommend bringing lawn chairs or blankets. 

All shows 7 p.m. 

All shows free of charge ($10 donation suggested). 

All shows featuring free ice cream from Ivanna Cone. 

All shows presenting the sights and sounds of the 1980s 

along with the words and stagecraft of William Shakespeare. 

Q: May I be so converted and see with these eyes? 

A: Might as well face it – you're addicted to love.

Bill Stibor, A True Friend of the Arts

We said goodbye today to Bill Stibor, a dear friend of Flatwater Shakespeare and of all the arts organizations and artists across the state of Nebraska. He was the Music Director for Nebraska Telecommunications Radio, the host of Morning Concert and Friday Live, a skilled writer and composer, a gifted tenor and actor (and the most delightful Flute / Thisby we've ever heard and seen in Britten's opera of *A Midsummer Night's Dream*). The memorial service this morning was a tribute to his many talents, his vast capacity for friendship, his boundless enthusiasm, and his unfailing encouragement of creative expression. We miss him terribly.

NET Radio will present "Friday Live: A Celebration of the Arts in Honor of William Stibor" this Friday, June 28, at the Sheldon Museum of Art on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.  Coffee at 8:30am; show at 9:00. Arts friends from border to border will make this a wonderful program -- full of music and discussion, the way Bill liked it.  You can attend in person; listen on the radio; watch it on NET Television's NET 2 and on line, netNebraska.org/radio.  For more information, visit http://netnebraska.org/basic-page/radio/william-stibor

*Much Ado* On Tour!

The award-winning Flatwater Shakespeare Company's Summer 2013 open-air production, William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, continues its tour of Lincoln this weekend.

Directed by Becky Key Boesen, the show runs Thursday through Sunday evenings, June 20 - 30 at eight Lincoln area parks and other outdoor venues. Performances are free, although a donation of $10 is suggested. Call 402-473-2897 for information.

The Lincoln Journal Star has praised this “fun, unpretentious show with a powerhouse cast” – you too can experience Shakespeare along with '80s pop hits like “Safety Dance” and “Don’t Dream It's Over,” sung and played by the actors.

Touring Schedule:

June 20 – Henry Park (S. 44th and Prescott)
June 21 – Havelock Park (N. 64th and Ballard)
June 22 – Densmore Park (6761 S. 14th)
June 23 – Irvingdale Park (S. 20th and Van Dorn)
June 27 – Wyuka Pond (36th and O)
June 28 – Wyuka Pond (36th and O)
June 29 – Belmont Park (N. 12th and Judson)
June 30 – Bethany Park (N. 65th and Vine)

For additional information, visit flatwatershakespeare.org.

For a slide show of the production, follow this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rw42KT7o74

"A Fun, Unpretentious Show" with "A Powerhouse Cast"!

Elizabeth Govaerts, Review of Much Ado About Nothing 
Lincoln Journal Star, June 7, 2013


Flatwater Shakespeare kicked off its summer tour of Lincoln parks Thursday in the Lincoln Community Garden, opening the original romantic comedy that pioneered the formula for all romantic comedies thereafter: Much Ado About Nothing.

This Much Ado takes place circa 1987 and is set in and around the estate of Politician Leonato (Scott Herr), who is entertaining preppy friends Don Pedro (Richard Eisloeffel), the handsome guileless Claudio, sweetly portrayed by Alexander Jeffrey, and Benedick, the wise-cracking lovable loud-mouth, played by Brad Boesen. Claudio soon falls in love with Leonardo’s lovely young daughter, Hero (Emma Gruhl), and they plan to get married immediately.

Meanwhile, Benedick has been engaging in witty banter with the equally witty cousin of Hero, Beatrice, played by Sasha Dobson. Although they don’t realize it, the rest of the crowd decides they are perfect for each other and proceed to trick them in to falling in love with each other, which, of course, they do.

Enter Don Pedro’s brother, who decides to spoil everything just for the fun of it by convincing Claudio Hero has been cheating on him. Tyler Hale is spot on as the bored rich-kid bully, Don John, who manipulates everyone for his own amusement. Tom Crew is brilliant as the hapless cop, Dogberry, who saves the day by accidentally figuring out Don John’s plot. It all ends well with a wedding and dancing.

This is the first Flatwater production not directed by Artistic Director Bob Hall. Instead, he turned this project over to Becky Key Boesen who has been seen in Flatwater shows since the company’s first production. She has put together a fun, unpretentious show with a powerhouse cast which understands her vision and plays accordingly.

She cleverly peppered the production with '80s pop hits like “Safety Dance” and “Don’t Dream Its Over,” sung and played by the cast, that added to the easy cohesiveness of the production.

The Foundation Garden has some limitations as a theater. There is a lot of ambient noise that, at times, makes the dialogue hard to hear and, because of the way the performance space was configured, when the actors sat they sometimes disappeared from the audience’s view.

But these were only minor annoyances and the appreciative audience clearly was having a great time throughout. It was the perfect way to spend a beautiful summer night.

Much Ado About Nothing continues June 7-9 and 12-16, 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Community Foundation Garden, 15th and N Streets in downtown Lincoln.  The show will then tour Lincoln parks for two additional weeks.  There is no admission charge, although a freewill donation of $10 is suggested.

Visit flatwatershakespeare.org for more information.