Spring into summer with two timeless comedies at Theatricum Botanicum’s spectacular outdoor venue. ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ will kick off Theatricum’s 2025 ‘Season of Resilience.’
There’s no better way to spend a summer afternoon or evening than watching a play at Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum’s glorious outdoor amphitheater, where two beloved comedies by William Shakespeare open the company’s “2025 Season of Resilience.”
Launching the season is Much Ado About Nothing, which remains one of the most exuberant and spirited battles of the sexes ever written. Sparks fly between Beatrice (Willow Geer) and Benedick (Aaron Hendry), “frenemies” whose relationship is defined by an ongoing war of words and verbal jousting. Yet beneath their seeming animosity lies a mutual attraction that neither dares confess, until circumstances unite them to rescue young friends Hero (Audrey Forman) and Claudio (Kelvin Morales), whose courtship has been marred by gossip and scandal. With the scene re-set from Shakespeare’s Italy to the U.S. at the end of the Civil War, the story overflows with twists and turns, heartbreak and hilarity. Ultimately, the play’s humor and poignancy emerge from its unflinching portrayal of human imperfection, celebrating the resilience of love and truth as they triumph over deception and misunderstanding.
Opening the following afternoon will be A Midsummer Night’s Dream—quite possibly Shakespeare’s most entertaining and beguiling comedy—which has become Theatricum’s signature production as audiences demand its return year after year. Once again this summer, the venue’s wooded stage will morph into the enchanted woods of Athens, where mortal lovers chase and are chased, players prepare, and fairies make magical mischief.
Much Ado About Nothing opens on Saturday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. and continues to run in repertory through September 13. A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens on Sunday, June 8 at 3:30 p.m., with performances continuing through September 15.
Tickets to performances range from $15 to $51. Premium seating is available for $64 ($60 cash at the door, subject to availability). Children 4 and under are free. Pay What You Will ticket pricing is available on the following dates: for Much Ado About Nothing at the 7:30 p.m. performances on Thursday, July 31 and Monday, Sept. 8; and for A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Sunday, June 29 at 3:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
For more information and to purchase tickets, call (310) 455-3723 or visit theatricum.com.
