Thanks to a grant of nearly $50,000, this July’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing” and all future productions by the nonprofit Saratoga Shakespeare Company, will be performed on the Alfred Z. Solomon Stage. Funding for the permanent, portable stage was provided by the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust.

            “We are absolutely thrilled about receiving this grant. A permanent stage gives us a quality playing area and enables our directors and actors to work more confidently,” said William Finlay, director of this year’s production.

The stage, which was researched and designed by Skidmore College professor Lawrence Opitz and Louis Allen of Adirondack Studios, showcases many of the features an outdoor stage would have had during Shakespeare’s time. These include raised playing areas for balcony scenes or scenes on castle battlements, a trapdoor for ghosts, graves and pits and a hidden “discovery” area.

“This enables us to present a semblance of what Shakespeare’s contemporaries saw in a way today’s audiences can appreciate,” Finlay said.

            The company kicks off its eighth season on Tuesday, July 17. Folks can check out a free performance of “Much Ado About Nothing” at 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday or at 2 p.m. on Sunday during its two week run.

The play’s five acts follow two pairs of lovers, Claudio and Hero and Beatrice and Benedick. The former’s union is impeded by constant obstacles, while the latter’s relationship develops amidst an insult-laden battle of the sexes. Along the way the couples encounter eavesdropping, deception, public humiliation, accusations of infidelity and a faked death.

The director called the work “one of Shakespeare’s simplest plays,” but said the simplicity creates one of the playwright’s most beautiful and accessible comedies.

            “‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is a play about deception, social grace, the importance of honor, and — one of Shakespeare’s favorite themes — counterfeiting,” Finlay said. “It’s truly Beatrice’s and Benedict’s war of witty insults, exemplifying the language of love, which makes the play entertaining, comic, and absorbing.”

            Professional theater is expensive. Even after generous donations of goods and services from local businesses, theater professionals, and the city of Saratoga Springs, Finlay estimated this summer’s two week run of “Much Ado About Nothing” will cost upwards of $70,000.

            “Although our performances are free, professional productions of Shakespeare’s work do indeed cost money. We have the same costs associated with Broadway productions—actors, director, housing, transportation, insurance, costume designers, sound technicians, and technical directors,” he said. “If you have attended our performances, you know that our audience includes people of all ages, from all sectors of the Saratoga community. We are especially delighted that we have introduced so many young Saratogians to Shakespeare, not as required school reading but as living, breathing theater. We depend on you to help us continue bringing professional Shakespeare to everyone. Your help can truly determine whether we are to be or not to be.”

What: Saratoga Shakespeare Company presents: “Much Ado About Nothing”

Where: Congress Park in Saratoga Springs

When: The show starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, July 17 to 21 and July 24 to 28, and at 2 p.m. Sunday July 22 and 29. The performance is approximately 90 minutes long with no intermission.

Admission: Free

For more information, visit www.saratogashakespeare.com.

Cast:

Claudio — Brian Nemiroff

Hero — Shannon Rafferty

Beatrice — Rebecca McHugh

Benedick — Tim Dugan

Don Pedro — Andy Place

Don John — Dorien Makhloghi

Antonio — Tom Lee Brennan

Leonato — Bill Ziskin

Borachio — Ian Sullivan

Dogberry — Christopher Rickett

Ursula — Carly Assael

Balthasar — Mike Benoit

Verges — Alan Edstrom

Sexton — Christopher Cook

Boy — Taylor Finlay

Girl — Gretel Wilson

Margaret — Maren Langdon

Conrade — Michael Lake

Friar Francis — Joey Hunziker