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Much Ado: A Summer with a Repertory Theater Company
Much Ado: A Summer with a Repertory Theater Company | Michael Lenehan
3 posts | 1 read | 1 to read
Much Ado, written by award-winning journalist Michael Lenehan, gives readers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the lauded American Players Theatre s 2014 production of William Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing. Wall Street Journal drama critic Terry Teachout has called the APTbased in the unassuming town of Spring Green, Wisconsin"the best classical theater company in America." It's also one of the most successful, with an annual budget of $6 million and ticket sales of more than 100,000 each season. Performing almost entirely outdoors, rain or shine, on the "Up the Hill" stage, the company has established a reputation for authentic, accessible, entertaining showsand Much Ado was no exception, selling nearly 23,000 tickets during its five-month run. Through Lenehan's keen reporter eyes, Much Ado explores the evolution of this complicated stage production, from casting to costumes to curtain call. In doing so, it provides readers with a deeper sense of the company's astonishing artistry and craft, a peek into the intricate technical logistics involved with outdoor theater, and a refreshing perspective on one of the Bard's most famous plays. Lenehan weaves together firsthand observations and literary analysis with interviews with key members of the APT's artistic ensemble and production staffincluding lauded director David Frank, lead actors Colleen Madden (Beatrice) and David Daniel (Benedick), and set and costume designer Robert Morganto paint a remarkable portrait of one of our most treasured artistic institutions."
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AvidReader25
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Only one more month of 2021 reading! 📚

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AvidReader25
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American Players Theater in Wisconsin is one of my favorite places in the world to visit. I am also a huge fan of Shakespeare and have read all of his plays and seen most of them live and on film. I understand that I am uniquely positioned to love this book about a 2014 production of Much Ado at APT. That being said, I think any fan of life Shakespeare or member of an acting company would enjoy this lovely glimpse behind the scenes.

AvidReader25 QUOTES:
“… our insatiable appetite for stories that explain us to ourselves, and to Shakespeare‘s unique ability to tell the stories in language built for the ages.”

“It‘s the essential paradox of acting: after reading a speech dozens if not hundreds of times, and committing it to memory, an actor must make it seem as though he is putting it together on the spot; it‘s coming from his brain as he speaks it.”
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CityLitBooks
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City Lit Books bestsellers of the week!
Much Ado - Michael Lenehan
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid Double Down - Jeff Kinney
The Underground Railroad - Colson Whitehead
The Heart Goes Last - Margaret Atwood



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