William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing

This spring, the students of Syracuse University’s ENG 411: Doing Shakespeare course present a staged reading of Much Ado About Nothing, reimagined with a 1920s setting. Against a backdrop of jazz-era elegance and understated glamour, Shakespeare’s beloved comedy unfolds with its sharp wit, mistaken identities and enduring themes of love, deception and social performance.

The minimalist, text-focused approach invites audiences to experience the richness of Shakespeare’s language while enjoying subtle nods to the culture and style of the Roaring Twenties. The production explores how this period of shifting gender roles and sparkling facades echoes the play’s playful tensions and emotional undercurrents.

Free and open to the public, this one-night-only performance highlights the timelessness of Shakespeare’s storytelling—refreshed with a touch of vintage charm.