ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is a sparkling comedy of love, wit, and second chances, where old rivalries, lingering misunderstandings, and carefully guarded reputations shape the lives of those caught between the past and the future. As the sharp-tongued Beatrice and Benedick spar in a battle of wits and the young lovers Hero and Claudio are tested by deception, long-held assumptions threaten to determine everyone’s fate. With humor, heart, and unexpected twists, the play reminds us that while the past may set events in motion, it does not have to dictate how the story ends.
RUNNING TIME
2 hours and one 10-minute intermission.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
PREVIEW PERFORMANCES
Thursday, September 17 – 7:30 PM
Friday, September 18 – 7:30 PM
Thursdays – 7:30 PM
Fridays – 7:30 PM
Saturdays – 7:30 PM
Sundays – 2:00 PM
OPENING NIGHT
Saturday, September 19 – 7:30 PM
Pay-What-You-Will
September 17 -
October 11, 2026
PRESS PERFORMANCE
Sunday, September 20 – 2:00 PM
REVIEWS
"There's a right way and a wrong way to do Shakespeare – and certainly a right way to introduce modern touches without ruining the beauty of the language and action – and then there is the Burbage way, which could actually ruin audiences for any other company... such reverent irreverence."
– Providence Journal
"This is what we go to the theatre for... Burbage Theatre Co is making Shakespeare come alive."
– East Bay RI
"Theatre at its finest can either enlighten or entertain us, but in some rare cases [a company] can do both..."
– Motif Magazine
"Burbage has pinned down the perfect balance, thematically and emotionally... Go for the immersive experience and to Shakespeare's words delivered with clarity, and well-thought-out phrasing..."
– The Pawtucket Times
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Much Ado
About Nothing
DIGITAL PLAYBILL
Cast
Alison Russo*, BEATRICE
Previous Burbage Roles
Isabella, Measure for Measure; Ellen Tree, Red Velvet; Hecate, Macbeth; Mortimer, Edward II; Portia, Julius Caesar; Viola, Shakespeare in Love; Cassie, Thinner Than Water; Viola, Twelfth Night
Other Theatres
The Antiquities, Speakeasy Stage Company; A Christmas Carol (2025), Cold War Choir Practice, La Tempestad, A Christmas Carol (2023), Trinity Repertory Company; Amadeus, Twelfth Night, An Octoroon, A Doll’s House Part 2, Gloria, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Gamm Theatre; Once, Dance Nation, Wilbury Theatre Group; A Christmas Carol, The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts; Victor/Victoria, Born Yesterday, Anything Goes, The Addams Family, Ocean State Theatre Company
Alison is a resident artist of Burbage Theatre Company. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature and Theatre Arts from Clark University in Worcester, MA.
Jeff Church*, BENEDICK
Previous Burbage Roles
Thom Pain, "Thom Pain [based on nothing]"; Marlowe, "Shakespeare in Love"; Antony, "Julius Caesar"; Thomas, "Venus in Fur"; Jay Gatsby, "The Great Gatsby"; Epilogue, "The Flu Season"; Davis, "Red Light Winter"; Larry, "Orson's Shadow"; Petruchio, "The Taming of the Shrew"; Dorante, "The Liar"; David Ives, "A Night with David Ives"; Bertram, "Largo Desolato"; Madame, "The Maids"; Director, "Refacilitation"; Danton, "The Maderati"; Katurian, "The Pillowman"; Mr. Smith, "The Bald Soprano"
Other Theatres:
"Angels in America: Parts 1 & 2", "Hamlet", "Twelfth Night", others, The Gamm Theatre; "A Christmas Carol" (2023 & 2025), "Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt. 2B", "By the Queen", "Fairview", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Trinity Repertory Company; Bridge Repertory Company Theatre of Boston; Boston Theatre Company, AntiGravity Theatre Co, Manhattan Theatre Club, Misfit Toys Repertory Theatre, Elemental Theatre Collaborative, others.
Jeff is the founding Artistic Director of Burbage Theatre Co, as well as acting faculty at the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College. jeff-church.com, @jeff.church.
Tatiana Sullivan, HERO
Previous Burbage Roles
Debut
Gertie Cummings, "Oklahoma!", Granite Theatre;
Demetrius, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", University of Rhode Island; Telephone Girl, "Machinal", University of Rhode Island;Other Theatres
Tatiana graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.F.A. in Theatre in 2026, and has since appeared in various Hallmark/Lifetime movies. She is a professional singer as well and performs around Rhode Island and the surrounding areas. Much thanks to her family and friends for their constant support! Instagram: @tatianamsullivan
Naomi Mudge, MARGARET
Previous Burbage Roles
Debut
Other Theatres
Karly, "OCTET", The Wilbury Theatre Group, Benedick; "Much Ado About Nothing", Thetis, "Shield of Achilles", Idle Hands Theater Collective; Bakers Wife, "Into the Woods", Taunton Performing Arts Center; Bottom the Weaver, "A Midsummer Nights Dream", Stadium Theater.
Naomi is a producer, director, actor (occasional drag performer) and writer working between Providence and Boston in both theater and film; and graduated The University Of Rhode Island with their BFA in Theater Acting. One year ago, she co-founded, Idle Hands Theater Collective - a collective dedicated to uniting performers, artists, and thespians of all mediums to create work that is truly their own. Naomi wants to thank her partner, parents and co-founder for supporting her endless endeavors as an artist.
@naomi.lt.mudge, @idlehandscoll
Nayeli Vazquez, URSULA
Previous Burbage Roles
Debut
Other Theatres
Winter, “Eureka Day”, Gamm Theatre. Antigone, “Antigone”, Rhode Island College. Anne, “Richard III”, CCRI.
Fred Wambolt, LEONATO
Previous Burbage Roles
Debut.
Other Theatres
Egeon, "The Comedy of Errors", Gamm Theatre (Gamm on the Go);
Ebenezer Scrooge, "A Christmas Carol", Roundabout;
Foxwell Sly, "Sly Fox", Attleboro Community Theatre
Instagram: @f_wambolt
FB: Fred Wambolt
Training: NYU Tisch School of the Arts (Stella Adler studio)
Nancy Winokoor, ANTONIA
Previous Burbage Roles
Ms Scroogemascher, "Hanukkah Schuanukah"
Other Theatres
Sarah Bernhardt, "Bernhardt/Hamlet", Jackie Cochrane, "They Promised Her the Moon", Gros Rene, "Carnival Moliere", The Players at the Barker Playhouse; Lady Capulet, "Romeo and Juliet", Gertrude, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead", Virginia, "Native Gardens", Little Theatre of Fall River.
Have worked over the yers at Contemporary Theatre Company-The Players at the Barker theatre and other theaters in RI and Southern MA
David Sackal, DON PEDRO
Previous Burbage Roles
Friar Lawrence, "Romeo and Juliet"; Pierre, "Red Velvet"
Other Theatres
Fabian, "Twelfth Night", Colonial Theatre; Andrew, "I Hate Hamlet", The Players; Ollie, "Radiant Vermin", JDAPA; Richard, "The 39 Steps", Show Palace Theatre
Chris DePina, CLAUDIO
Previous Burbage Roles
Debut
Other Theatres
"Alguien Más!", "La Broa", Rhode Island Latino Arts/Trinity Rep; "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Macbeth", "Antigone", "The Prom", Rhode Island College.
Julia Curtin, DON JOHN
Previous Burbage Roles
Provost, "Measure for Measure"
Other Theatres
Olivia, “Twelfth Night,” Dream Role Players; Revlon, “The Revlon Girl,” Barker Playhouse; Beatrice, “Much Ado About Nothing,” Roundabout Productions; MaryAnne, “When We Were Young and Unafraid,” Barker Playhouse; Brooke, “Noises Off,” Contemporary Theater Company; Maggie Mundy, “Dancing at Lughnasa,” Barker Playhouse
Julia is very excited to be returning for her second show with BTC. She graduated from Salve Regina University with a BA in Theatre Arts in 2020 and has been performing in the Boston and Providence areas for the past several years. Instagram: @jecurtin126
Jordan Smith, CONRADE
Previous Burbage Roles
Justin, BLKS; Froth, Measure for Measure
Other Theatres
Caliban, “The Tempest”, Orlando, “As You Like It”, Reverie Theatre Group; Brutus, “Julius Caesar”, Romeo, “Romeo & Juliet”, Bristol Theatre Program
PUNK ROCK THEATRE IS HERE! Jordan is currently working with long time friend, Taylor K. Corbett, on a new theatre collective called Close Proximity. The last two years they had two different shows go up at Fringe PVD! One was about infamous writer of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, and the other about family ties, music, and being queer! If you want to see what they have coming up you can follow them on Instagram @CloseProximityTheatre
Tylar Jahumpa, BALTHASAR
Previous Burbage Roles
Debut
Other Theatres
Mr. Rochester, "You On The Moors Now", Barker Playhouse; Theseus/Oberon, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Mixed Magic Theatre; Smooch and Clay Understudy, "Cold War, Choir Practice", Omar Bah/Tyrone Smith Understudy, "Someone Will Remember Us", Cory/Lyons/Gabriel Understudy, "August Wilson's Fences", Trinity Repertory Company
Tylar Jahumpa (He/Him) has dabbled in sound design, lighting design and even work in the director’s chair from time to time. Tylar enjoys working with other artists and pushing the envelope on having safe, collaborative and memorable theatre experiences. Currently, he works as a theatre technician for Brown University’s Theatre Arts and Performance Studies (TAPS) program and is the co-artistic director for Through the Glass Theatre Ensemble.
Omar Laguerre-Lewis, BORACHIO
Previous Burbage Roles
Rexy/Jason, The Legend of Georgia McBride; Voice 3, The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time; Doug/Arin/Ronny, Witching Hour Social Club (Reading); Benvolio, Romeo & Juliet; Sir John/Others, Sense & Sensibility; Kevin Walsh, Junk; Carolinensis, The Squirrels; Captain, Macbeth
Other Theatres
“Hamlet”, “Amadeus”, “Twelfth Night”, The Gamm Theatre; “Hamlet”, (Director), “Romeo & Juliet”, “Twelfth Night”, Reverie Theatre Group; “‘Hamlet”, Shit-Faced Shakespeare; “Deliver Us!”, Brown University Writing is Live!; “Much Ado About Nothing”, “The Merry Wives of Windsor”, The Contemporary Theatre Company
Andrew Stigler, DOGBERRY
Previous Burbage Roles
Harold Ryan, Happy Birthday Wanda June; Fennyman, Shakespeare in Love; Julius Caesar, Julius Caesar; Leo Tresler, Junk; Bernard Warde, Red Velvet; Capulet, Romeo and Juliet; Escalus, Measure for Measure.
Other Theatres
“Twelfth Night”, “Henry IV part 1”, “The Taming of the Shrew”, Elm Shakespeare Company; “August: Osage County”, “The Front Page”, 2nd Story Theatre; “Othello”, “As You Like It”, “The Flaming Spider”, Yale University Theater; “Antigone”, “The Play’s the Thing”, University of Chicago Theatre.
Sonny Wong, VERGES
Previous Burbage Roles
Bob Crachit, Hannukah Schmanukkah; A Viennese, Measure for Measure
Other Theatres
Marcy Park, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", The Players at Barker Playhouse; Servant/Chorus, "Amadeus", The Gamm Theatre; Cannibal Queen, "Airness", Contemporary Theater Company
Often found working backstage here at Burbage, Sonny is positively chuffed to be sharing the stage with this incredible cast to open Season 14! Many thanks to Stephen, Jeff, the creative team, technical crew, and BTC staff for making it all possible.
Instagram: @mouthbones
Meighread Dandeneau, FRIAR
Previous Burbage Roles
Debut.
Other Theatres
"Hamlet", "Edges" Reverie Theatre Group; "The Pony Express: The Musical", Hemingway Theatre; "Proof", Network Theatre Waterloo; "The Lesbians of Forest Gate", The Source Stratford, "Melania The Opera", The Cockpit
Meighread trained at East 15 Acting School in London, UK. meighreaddandeneau.com
Production Team
Stephen Thorne, Director
Anaïs Bustos, Stage Manager
Michael Green, Assistant Director
Isaiah Gamboa, Assistant Stage Manager
Trevor Elliott, Set Design
Brittany Costello, ATD/Props Mistress
Riley Nedder, Costume Design
Andrew Iacovelli, Technical Director
Burbage Staff
Jeff Church, Artistic Director, President
Allison Crews, Executive Director
Andrew Iocavelli, Technical Director
Trevor Elliott, Production Design
Brittany Costello, ATD/House Manager/ Props Master
Devra Levy, Box Office Manager/ Resident Stage Manager
Mary Chandler, Marketing Director
Gabrielle McCauley, Social Media Marketing
