Ardeo Theatre Company

08/29/2026

Did you catch our Co-Artistic Director, Gillian Shelly, on Good Morning Frederick earlier this week? Check out the full interview to learn more about Ardeo Theatre Company's first Frederick Shakespeare Festival production: Much Ado About Nothing!

🎭 Much Ado About Nothing
📆 Performances run through August 29th
👑 Dress Up Nights at the Frederick Shakespeare Festival: August 29th at 7:30PM
📍 Hood College's Hodson Outdoor Theater
🎟 www.ardeotheatre.org/shows

Masks slip. Sparks fly. Pride stumbles. In Much Ado About Nothing, every glance is a challenge, every rumor and trap, and every joke a step closer to love. Beneath the laughter, hearts and reputations are both on the line.

08/28/2026

"Shelly and Crump take the stage like forces of nature in a beautiful, rip-roaring duel. Never has bickering produced such delicious romantic tension." -- Hanna Al-Kowsi for MD Theatre Guide

🎭 Much Ado About Nothing
📆 Performances run through August 29th
👑 Dress Up Nights at the Frederick Shakespeare Festival: August 29th at 7:30PM
📍 Hood College's Avalon Theater
🎟 www.ardeotheatre.org/shows
📷 Cody James

Our 8/28 performance is at capacity so only two chances remain to see Beatrice in all her glory in Much Ado About Nothing! Limited seats remain so reserve your tickets ASAP to see our final shows on Saturday, August 29th at 2pm or 7:30pm!

08/28/2026

Tonight’s performance is AT CAPACITY (Aug 28) but you have two more chances to sneak on in to see MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

RESERVE your tickets NOW so you don’t miss out! ArdeoTheatre.org (link in bio)

Please note that all remaining shows will be held INDOORS at the Avalon Theatre blackbox (basement level of the Tatem Arts Center on the Hood College Campus - 410 Hood College Dr). Parking is free and there are multiple lots within a short walking distance.

*TICKET POLICY* When the performance is reserved at capacity, all reservations that are not checked in 10-minutes before showtime will be released to any stand-by patrons who have come to buy tickets at the door.

Ardeo Theatre Company Frederick Shakespeare Festival

08/27/2026

"O woe! O woeful, woeful, woeful day! Most lamentable day, most woeful day that ever, ever, I did yet behold!" -- Romeo and Juliet, Act 4 Scene 5

The time is out of joint and, alas, so is tonight's performance of Much Ado About Nothing.

We are truly sorry to inform you that our Thursday, August 27th 7:30pm performance must be cancelled to prioritize the health and safety of our cast. This was not a decision we made lightly. We explored every possible option before arriving at this outcome and we recognize the impact it has on everyone involved. We understand how disappointing this news is and we truly regret the disruption.

Our audience members are invaluable to us and we want to make it as easy as possible to reschedule you for one of our three remaining performances, which will be held indoors at the Avalon Theater in the basement level of Hood College’s Tatem Arts Center (410 Hood College Drive, Frederick, MD, 21701). To move your reservations to another performance, please contact [email protected] with the name on your reservation, number of tickets, and the date and time you would like your tickets moved to.

If you need any assistance or have questions, please reach out to us via email ([email protected]) or phone (771-212-9234).

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to having you join us at the Frederick Shakespeare Festival again soon!

08/27/2026

We are thrilled to be welcoming audiences to the second and final weekend of Much Ado About Nothing!

Due to the expectation of rain this weekend, we are moving our remaining shows indoors and closing out this summer's Frederick Shakespeare Festival at the Avalon Theatre located in the basement level of Hood College's Tatem Arts Center (410 Hood College Drive, Frederick, MD, 21701).

Thank you for supporting live theatre in Fredrick!

🎭 Much Ado About Nothing
📆 Performances run through August 29th
👑 Dress Up Night: August 29th at 7:30PM
📍 Hood College's Avalon Theater
🎟 www.ardeotheatre.org/shows
📷 Cody James

08/26/2026

"It cannot be denied that there is a real, sincere magic to the experience of live, outdoor theater and a certain, perfect harmony between the out-of-doors performing arts and Shakespeare’s works. The intimacy created by the experience of closeness to the actors and the shared sense of place are a perfect match for Shakespeare’s audience, addressing monologues and asides." -- Hanna Al-Kowsi for Maryland Theatre Guide

🎭 Much Ado About Nothing
📆 Performances run through August 29th
👑 Dress Up Nights at the Frederick Shakespeare Festival: August 29th at 7:30PM
📍 Hood College's Hodson Outdoor Theater
🎟 www.ardeotheatre.org/shows
📷 Cody James

One weekend remains of the 2026 Frederick Shakespeare Festival. Don't miss your chance to see the magic of outdoor theatre in action!

08/26/2026

“When we think of Much Ado About Nothing, we think of Beatrice and Benedick - two of the most beloved characters in literature. We love their wit, their feistiness, Benedick’s hard-headedness, Beatrice’s self-assuredness; to us as an audience, they’re both relatable and aspirational. And from the very first scene, we desperately want them to get together. Of course, we know they will, but watching them get there, watching them overcome the obstacles that they and others have placed in their way, is the play’s great pleasure." -- Aaron Angello, Director

🎭 Much Ado About Nothing
📆 Performances run through August 29th
👑 Dress Up Nights at the Frederick Shakespeare Festival: August 29th at 7:30PM
📍 Hood College's Hodson Outdoor Theater
🎟 www.ardeotheatre.org/shows
📷 Cody James

Masks slip. Sparks fly. Pride stumbles. In Much Ado About Nothing, every glance is a challenge, every rumor and trap, and every joke a step closer to love. Beneath the laughter, hearts and reputations are both on the line.

08/26/2026

*AUDITIONS!* Unstrung Harpist is producing a workshop/run of a new musical, WELCOME TO QUARANTINO’S. Audition submission info below.

AUDITIONS!

Unstrung Harpist Productions is seeking actor/singers for an upcoming PAID workshop performance run of a new musical, Welcome to Quarantino's, written by Evan Crump and Talia Segal. Talia, an accomplished singer/songwriter and a fixture in the MD theatre community, sadly passed away last year, and part of the performance process will be a showcase of several songs from the production at her Celebration of Life on October 4.

Rehearsals will begin on or around 9/19 in Frederick, MD, and there will be 8 performances from 10/30-11/8 in addition to the Celebration of Life on 10/4. Actors will be paid a stipend of $500 for the run. The roles we are seeking are below; note that the vocal ranges for these roles are somewhat fluid, since the keys can be set to the capabilities of the actors cast.

ROLES:

ABE, bar owner, male-presenting, 50s-70s. A kindly, if deluded, man. Fun at parties but not a guy you’d want balancing your checkbook.

DENISE, bar manager, female-presenting, 20s-40s. Abe’s daughter. Serious and easily frustrated. A bit high-strung.

SHELBY, bar patron, male-presenting, 20s-30s. A professor. More than a little nebbish. Sweet on Margaret.

MARGARET, bar patron, female-presenting, 20s-30s. A self-published author and deep feeler. Dimly aware of Shelby.

Male-Presenting SWING, 30s-60s. To play the Barfly (a stoic drinker), a Health Department officer (who thinks he's Rambo), and the Bargainer (an opportunistic businessman).

Interested parties should submit a self-taped monologue of 2 minutes or less and 36 bars of a song of their choice, along with a headshot and resume, to [email protected] for consideration by 9/1. Any questions or other communication can be directed to the same address. Zoom callbacks may be held at a time convenient to all parties.

08/26/2026

Shout-out to the MVP of Messina, Maureen O'Neal! Maureen is pulling double duty for Much Ado About Nothing as Hero (one of our leading lovers) and our lead costume designer bringing the totally tubular 80s vibes to the Frederick Shakespeare Festival! She's a frequent face on Frederick stages and we couldn't be more grateful to have her on our team.

🎭 Much Ado About Nothing
📆 Performances run through August 29th
👑 Dress Up Nights at the Frederick Shakespeare Festival: August 29th at 7:30PM
📍 Hood College's Hodson Outdoor Theater
🎟 www.ardeotheatre.org/shows
📷 Cody James & Sam White 🎭

"The 80s aesthetic bath that Angello and Costume Designer Mauren O’Neal (assisted by Rachel Smith) have layered over the production just screams ‘perfect fit’ in that awesome-80s verve that only that decade can command. The vintage pieces that O’Neal has sourced for the production— her own pink party dress and her initial wedding dress, Beatrice’s double jumpsuit, first the loud leopard wrap-around and later the sparkly spangly affair, and not to mention Claudio’s dope-ass-shorts— are sick. And totally on brand." -- Amanda Gunther for TheatreBloom

08/25/2026

Dress up night is just around the corner! Don your 80s best, your favorite Shakespeare-inspired outfits, or renaissance faire-worthy garb and join us for closing night of Much Ado About Nothing on Saturday, August 29th at 7:30pm!

As part of our newest Frederick Shakespeare Festival F tradition, all audience members who dress for the occasion will be entered into a giveaway for a chance to win an exclusive piece of Frederick Shakespeare Festival merchandise! The winner will be drawn the same evening and must be present to collect their prize.

🎭 Much Ado About Nothing
👑 Dress Up Nights at the Frederick Shakespeare Festival: August 29th at 7:30PM
📍 Hood College's Hodson Outdoor Theater
🎟 www.ardeotheatre.org/shows
📷 Cast Submissions

Masks slip. Sparks fly. Pride stumbles. In Much Ado About Nothing, every glance is a challenge, every rumor and trap, and every joke a step closer to love. Beneath the laughter, hearts and reputations are both on the line.