Foul Contending Rebels - Much Ado About Nothing!

Hello, enjoyers of theatre, Shakespeare, community, or all of the above! We are the Foul Contending Rebels, a Burlington-based theatre collective you may have seen performing Shakespeare in a park over the last few years. We're thrilled to announce that we are staging a production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing this summer with guest directors Rowan Derby and Becky Laird!

We at FCR are an LGBTQ+ and women-run collective, and we pride ourselves on using our voices to create and uplift art by and for marginalized individuals in our community. We value accessibility, equity, and respect in and out of the theatre space, and we strive for our art to reflect that. However, even low-budget theatre is costly to put on, and we rely on funding from organizations and individuals in our community to achieve these goals.

Our production of Much Ado will run at the Off Center for the Dramatic Arts in Burlington from August 17-20. Tickets will be available on a sliding scale from $10-40 at https://theaterengine.com/productions/2355. The August 19 matinee will be free of charge.

A bit about this production:

Shakespeare, like much of theatre, emphasizes the spoken word and how words can be sharpened into weapons, while also highlighting how much comfort the whisper of a loved one can deliver. Much Ado About Nothing is no exception. It is a beautiful example of the lovable chaos that is human interaction, and how we may spare the worst insults for those we care most or meddle with things that are better left alone: their love lives. Using the tarot archetypes as a guide, we plan on emphasizing the self-concept brought on by the classic Shakespearean characters in a new light. While times have changed, many of the experiences in Much Ado are universal to people trying to live their messy lives in a modern world. Famous for its borderline obscene comedy, from Dogberry, the bumbling Sheriff, to Beatrice and Benedick's "Merry War of Wits," Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's most beloved and famous comedies for a good reason: it's for absolutely everyone.

Funds from this fundraiser will go toward paying for our rehearsal and performance venues and compensating our collaborators. We appreciate any help our community is able to offer, whether that is donating, volunteering, or simply spreading the word and seeing our show.