UnMasqued, a young nomadic theatre company of artists, puts a musical twist on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing playing now through August 2nd at the Pieter Performance Art Space. The conceit follows The Arragons, a nationally acclaimed traveling band of bluegrass/folk musicians, returning from their year-long tour to the place that started it all, The Messina.
Here they present the story of their time together as a band on tour – the struggle, the love and betrayal, and a witty battle of the sexes – all events that have become the inspiration for the band’s new album, Much Ado About Nothing. For a few special performances at their favorite venue, The Arragons will give a sneak peak of their new songs and an inside look into the lives of the artists.
Director Drew Feldman says, “We have staged this particular version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing as a response to a curiosity of memory and imagination and inside of that – love and betrayal. Where do the four meet? How often do we recall memories as they have really existed? Why do we choose to remember the good in a romance and not the bad? Why do we choose to dwell on the pain of a broken heart and ignore the times of abundance and joy? And, when we finally are asked to share our memory, to tell a large tale, why do we bend the truth? Why exaggerate, highlight, and expand? Shakespeare’s Much Ado is our way of asking these questions to you in hopes of revealing answers previously unknown together.”
The cast includes Ty Fanning, Torey Byrne, Dillon Horner, Josh Henry, Neil Fleischer, Emelie O’Hara, Kristyn Chalker, Parker Wilmoth, Harriet Fisher, Barrett C. Lile, Drew Feldman, Claire Phillips, Lauren Jacobs, Daniel Ryan Wallach, and Valerie Sharp.
The company will perform next in Colorado but you can catch them in one of their remaining performances at the Pieter Performance Art Space which will be transformed into the venue for an actual bluegrass concert, using the original compositions of Davis Good and lyrics straight from Shakespeare’s sonnets.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
unMasqued
Remaining performances: July 25, 26, and August 1, 2
8:00 pm
Pieter Performance Art Space
420 W Ave 33
Los Angeles CA 90031
Lincoln Heights
Tickets: www.artful.ly/store/events/3207
Info: www.unmasqued.org
Shakespeare in LA 