Capital Classics Shakespeare Company’s outdoor performances of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ in West Hartford will run until July 31, 2022.

By Sophie Christensen

This summer marks Capital Classics’ 20th year collaborating with the University of Saint Joseph for the Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival, where audience members gather on the lawn before a quaintly-decorated outdoor stage. The sun sets as the show begins, dramatizing the light on the stage and creating a cozy atmosphere of friends, family, and fun.

Many people bring camping chairs and blankets to sit on, as well as appetizers and cocktails to enjoy during the show.

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

Dances, musical interludes, and actors hiding amongst the audience keep the piece engaging, even for young audience members. Tricks, jokes, and absurdities said by almost every character lighten the mood and garner laughter from an enthusiastic audience.

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

The Shakespearean comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” centers around love – those who succumb to it and those who try to avoid it. Capital Classics’ talented company of actors brings to life Shakespeare’s iconic play, thought to have been written in 1599.

This company includes alumni from notable performance schools such as Berklee College of Music, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, the Hartt School, and multiple graduates of UConn’s acting program.

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

Dramaturg Dr. Milla Riggio holds a PhD from Harvard University and has taught Shakespeare at Trinity College for 46 years. Director Geoffrey Sheehan received his MALS in theater from Wesleyan University.

Capital Classics was founded in 1991 “to enrich the cultural environment of the Greater Hartford community through the arts.”

Tickets can be purchased online here.

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival 2022. Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen

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