This fall, the Seminole High School Theater Company (SHSTC) will be performing William Shakespeare’s iconic play Much Ado About Nothing from Nov. 2-4. While Seminole puts on a fall play every year, Much Ado About Nothing differs from the plays chosen for previous years in the casts, elaborate costumes, and the level of difficulty in rehearsing lines that lies within this Shakespearean comedy.

One way this play is unique from previous years is that it is directed by a student, senior Joseph Salomone, in cooperation with SHSTC director Ms. Tiffany Ortiz. Salomone has been part of The Theater Company for the past two years and is enthusiastic about his new role. As a director, he is responsible for choosing the actors and making sure that those who audition match the character’s description.

Typically, prospective actors have to resemble and be able to rehearse the lines of the character they are auditioning for. However, that is not the case for this play due to the complexity of the characters.

Salomone said, “I think a major difference in this year’s casting from last year’s lies within the auditioners and how it is necessary for us to find the perfect auditioner who lives in the spirit of the actual character in the play.”

While the actors are often considered the most notable part of the performance, a lot of effort that goes into making a play a production is the work that happens behind the scenes. The students backstage are responsible for costumes and tech management. The costume department specifically has put in a great deal of effort to procure a variety of new materials in order to produce authentic-looking attire. 

Junior Maaha Yusufali, costume assistant, comments, “I feel like the costumes for this play are a lot more difficult to create [than] previous plays due to the Shakespearean setting. [It] has a lot more traditionally fashioned clothing, which requires more cutting and decorating as well as obtaining scraps and pieces from places like Goodwill.”

This year’s play also differs from previous ones due in part to the language barrier that the light Shakespearean comedy possesses. For the cast, this means that precision and expression are key in order to express the emotion of the play to an audience that is not familiar with antiquated dialogue.

Sophomore Maria Guerrero is playing Hero, the lead female role. She said, “I think the cast for this year’s play is going to have a challenge, not necessarily [with] remembering their lines, but rehearsing them as Shakespearean plays tend to be more dramatic, even though this play is supposed to be a light comedy.”

The cast members, directors, and costume designers have dedicated long hours to show the versatility of this dramatic play and continue to show their efforts as showtime nears.