Merely Players Presents:
Much Ado About a Handkerchief
By William Shakespeare
Adapted by Rachel Kohler

An Original Merely Players Mash-Up

Saturday, July 25th at 7:30pm

There's no such thing as a "new" Shakespeare play... or is there?

Experience Shakespeare's beloved comedy Much Ado About Nothing in a way we promise you've never seen before, in this original Merely Players mashup of Much Ado and Othello. Much Ado famously teeters right on the edge of disaster before pulling everyone back from the brink to celebrate a (mostly) happy ending of reconciliation and rekindled love. By contrast, Much Ado About a Handkerchief lets the jealous obsessions of the play travel to their natural conclusion: destruction and untimely death.

It's not QUITE a new play. But it's Shakespeare's very old words used in a very new way. So we ask you: what if Much Ado was a tragedy? Well, here's how you find out.

RATED: PG-13 for misogyny, suggestive humor, staged violence with blades including death and suicide, and stage blood; may not be suitable for children under 10 years old.

ABOUT THE VENUE
The Arts Center | Annex
760 SW Madison Ave, Corvallis, OR 97333
541-754-1551
https://theartscenter.net/

The Arts Center inspires creativity and contributes to community well-being through equitable access to and engagement with the visual arts. They collaborate to offer exhibitions, learning opportunities, artist development, and cultural events centered around art, artists and art enthusiasts in the greater Corvallis area.

ABOUT THE COMPANY
Merely Players is an actor-managed traveling Shakespeare company based in Corvallis, Oregon. We make collaborative theatre that can travel anywhere in the Central Willamette Valley. Our goal is to make the classic plays of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries as accessible, interactive, irreverent, fast-paced, and fun as they possibly can be. We accomplish this by going back to the basics with a small group of actors, sans sets, sans lights, sans modern theatrical bells and whistles, connecting on a deep and personal level with the audience, with each other, and with the playtexts themselves.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are $17 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased here in advance, or at the door (cash preferred if you are buying them at the door). Seating for this performance is general admission, unless you have a specific seating need that has been communicated to us beforehand.

Merely Players is committed to making the Shakespeare accessible to all! We participate in the Corvallis Arts For All program. The program offers up to two $5 tickets per Oregon Trail Cardholder to plays, concerts, opera, dance recitals, and other events sponsored or promoted by participating arts organizations. Anyone in the SNAP (formerly food stamps) program can qualify for the $5 ticket simply by displaying their Oregon Trail Card when purchasing tickets at the door.

Please contact us at merelyplayersoregon@gmail.com with any questions or requests.

Contact the host of Much Ado About a Handkerchief at The Arts Center