Much Ado About Nothing

Pitch Deck | Summer 2025 |

LA County Library free event proposal

“A summer party like no other”

The war is over and new possibilities of life await. Lovers Hero and Claudio and proud singletons Beatrice and Benedick have their limits of love tested in a wild mix of games, pranks, and mischief. Join Foolish Production Co as they take over meeting rooms of LA County Libraries all over the county, filling them with a joyful vivacity in this summer celebration of love perfect for Shakespeare fans and newbies alike.

Written By William Shakespeare

Directed/Rescripted by Mikey Mulhearn

PDF of Production Script

Concept

Welcome to the party of the summer.

Shakespeare in a…meeting room? We know, it’s been done countless times. Why and how is ours different? We are bringing it to LA communities, rather than asking them to come to us. In our 75 minute production of Much Ado About Nothing, the audience will be welcomed into the immersive experience rather than play the role of a mere spectator. Taking inspiration from Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s summer tours, Shakespeare’s Globe on Tour in London, and The Public Theatre’s Mobile Unit in the boroughs of New York we will create an easily tourable production that can adapt to both a meeting room or park.

Set in modern LA, our room will serve as a refuge from the war, welcoming the partisans back with open arms after their recent hard-fought victories.

We will roll out large colorful outdoor carpets to denote actor playing spaces and invite audience members to fill in the chairs in the surrounding area. Mobile poles will tower above as we string vibrant chains of garland, pennants, and greenery across the sky. Certain areas will host interactive activities (such as mask making) that can be accessed during pre-show by the audience and used during the play by the actors.

Costumes will be compromised of modern pieces that are highly pigmented, loudly patterned, and pay homage to a 15th century silohuette. Each character will have their primary base layer, with additional and specific pieces to denote any minor characters they may double as. Please note that we source most if not all of our needed costume pieces from local consignment shops (such as Out of the Closet) that give back to the community.

The 30 minutes prior to the performance are our opportunity to make that initial needed connection between actor and audience. We will offer games, music, and mask making as we prepare to begin the play.

While the production is not set in a specific time period, our approach is a modern one that allows both audience and actor to tell this classicaly comic story with fresh eyes- revealing its inherent relation to today.

Creative Team

Playwright William Shakespeare

Director/Rescriptor Mikey Mulhearn*

Movement Director Kodi Jackman*

Fight Director/Intimacy Choreographer Celina Lee Surniak*

Costume Designer Kat Landreth*

Stage Manager Jesse Fiene*

*denotes ensemble member

Marketing

Our marketing strategy involves:

Poster for the 2022 production of *Angels In America*

Collateral in the form of a production poster/graphic
Teaser Trailers
Performance Trailers
Rehearsal/Production Photos
Production Page- (Example)
Electronic Press Kits- (Example 1 and Example 2)
Specific and targeted email blasts to our subscriber base
Press Night for reviewers with an invited audience prior to opening
Show Listings in over 15 citywide print and web publications
Press Releases through Broadway World, LA Times, and other local publications. Click here for past examples.
Virtual Program- (Example 1 and Example 2)
Instagram
Facebook
Youtube

Performance Details

Free Theater. All Are Welcome.

All performances take place in meeting rooms. General admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no ticket distribution, and a reservation will not be required. Patrons that click on “Register To Receive More Information” on our main show page and indicate their performance date, will be sent a performance reminder, detailed instructions on how to get to the location, and exciting content about the show!

Proposed dates: Saturday/Sundays at 3pm or 5pm in September of 2025.

Tickets: Free

Run Time: The show runs 75 minutes with no intermission

Proprosed Branches:

West Hollywood
Florence or Huntington
East Los Angeles Branch
Culver City or View Park
Manhattan Beach
San Gabriel

Concept Images

Concept Image- Vivacity of Performance and Immersion of Audience

Proposed Mobile Ground Plan For Meeting Room

About Foolish

Our mission at Foolish Production Co is to celebrate, enhance, and challenge our understanding of self and others through affordable, communal, and innovative experiences of theatre and film. Every show (past/present/future and contemporary/classical) is designed for the space in which it is produced (sundeck, bar, traditional theater) to set the stage for a vivacious experience that connects both audience and actor in a way that reflects the theatre of old. We strip everything back to shine a revelatory light through conscious casting and modern interpretations.

Noted productions are our queer interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in which we built an immersive nightclub; a critically celebrated stripped down version of Angels in America: Millennium Approaches/Perestroika; and Titus Andronicus designed for the back club room of a bar in DTLA. All of these productions featured aspects of communal lighting; non traditional seating plans that immersed the audience in the action of the play; and actors of various gender, sexuality, race, and identity stepping into roles previously barred from them.

Our production of Angels In America garnered 10 Robbie Award Nominations (Winning Best Leading Actor); 13 Broadway World Regional Award Nominations (Winning Best Drama); and 3 Stage Raw Award Nominations (Winning Best Featured Actor).

Foolish Production Co., Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization Federal Tax ID# 85-0635620

Critic Reviews

“Foolish’s company of players are youthful, eloquent and very agile, every word well-paced and spoken clearly, and it’s a delight to see this work brought to life in clever “gender-neutral” roles.”

— Tricia Stubbs, Theatre Be Spoken Here on A Midsummer Night’s Dream

“Foolish Productions’ Measure for Measure is edgy, hip and rough-around-the-edges.”

“Under Mulhearn’s direction, the show moves quickly and the play’s five acts and multiple plot twists are condensed into one action-packed hour, making the story more palatable for a modern audience.”

-Dana Martin, Stage Raw on Measure For Measure

“This production was both brilliant and powerful, each character well defined, each actor speaking their lines clearly, distinctly and with true passion.”

-Morna Martell, Theatre Be Spoken Here on Titus Andronicus

“However, despite my reservations, Foolish Productions Co., under the direction of Michael Mulhearn made a believer out of me.”

“Foolish Production Co.’s daring to decision to mount the epic “A Gay Fantasia on National Themes” has paid off.”

-Julia Stier, Stage Raw on Angels In America: Millennium Approaches/Perestroika

“Foolish Production Co and director Mikey Mulhearn took on an enormous challenge when they decided to mount playwright Tony Kushner’s monumental Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning two-part epic Angels in America….and damn if they did not succeed!”

“Mulhearn and his cast really make every word, every emotion hit its target.”

-Rob Stevens, Haines His Way on Angels In America: Millennium Approaches/Perestroika

“The Foolish Production Company excels in, accessible, over-the-top, hilarity. From the sets to the full use of the cramped black box theater including audience seating, it was all technicolor.

Perfectly assembled in its chaotic design from music to pool inflatables, it frankly reminisces of old-school, Lady Bunny Wigstock, drag queen camp. And it's pretty wonderful.”

-Tracey Paleo, Broadway World on Twelfth Night

Groundling (Audience) Reviews

“I recommend art-lovers of all forms and even theater-phobic folks to check out these shows because they are as approachable as they are thoughtful and interesting -- there is truly something for everyone!”

-Rachel B

“Anyone who attends Twelfth Night in for an unconventional and highly entertaining performance. The small theater lends itself to inviting the audience into participation, rather than just observation.”

-Bev M

“If you are looking for a fun theater experience, or just looking to get more into Shakespeare, I would take a chance on these shows and come out. You will have fun and enjoy the passion the actors have for the material and the unique way that the shows have been directed. Highly recommend for a fun night out!”

-Kellie K

“I will never think of or look at Shakespeare in the same way.”

-Bob C

“As someone who couldn’t understand and enjoy Shakespeare in an educational or theatrical display; Foolish productions brings a different approach and energy to the classics that make me appreciate them more than anyone else has.”

-Sarah S

Past Production Photos