Much Ado About Nothing Cocktail Menu
Each recipe, named after a character in the show, yields one drink.

The Pissboy Sour—Claudio

• 3 oz pisco

• ¾ oz simple syrup

• ½ oz orange juice

• ½ oz grapefruit juice

• 1 egg white OR 1 oz of aquafaba 

• Dash of Angostura bitters

Combine pisco, simple syrup, and fruit juice in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Add your egg white or aquafaba and shake for another minute, until the mixture looks frothy. Strain into a pisco glass, top with 3 drops of bitters, and enjoy!

The Boozy Bachelor—Benedick

• ½ oz dark spiced rum

• ½ oz coconut rum

• ½ oz grenadine

• 1 oz orange juice

• 1 oz pineapple juice

• 1 oz lemonade

Combine rum, fruit juice, and lemonade in a tall glass with ice and stir. Slowly add grenadine and garnish with the cheesiest paper umbrella you can find.

The Italian Wedding Cake—Hero

• 1 oz amaretto

• 1 oz vanilla vodka

• ½ oz orange juice

• ½ oz pineapple juice

• ½ oz creme de Cacao

Combine vodka, amaretto, creme de Cacao and fruit juice into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, strain into a martini glass, and enjoy!

The Marketplace Mojito—Beatrice

• 6 cherries

• Juice of one lime

• Handful of fresh mint leaves

• 3 oz white rum

• 2 oz simple syrup

• Seltzer/Club soda

Combine all ingredients into a wide glass and muddle together to extract the flavors. Fill the glass with ice and top it with your seltzer water or club soda. Garnish with a heart you intend to snack on later.

The Bitter Bastard—Don John

• 2 orange slice

• 4 maraschino cherries

• 2 jalapeño slices

• 2 oz bourbon

• Dash of cinnamon

• Dash of nutmeg

• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters

• Club soda (optional)

Place your orange slices, cherries, jalapeño, spices, and bitters into the bottom of a rocks glass and muddle thoroughly. Add your bourbon, followed by ice, and top with your soda if you choose to!

Hey Nonny Nonny—Balthasar

• Hibiscus flowers or 2 bags Hibiscus tea

• 2 oz sugar

• 2 oz tequila

• 1 oz Cointreau or triple sec

• 1 oz lime juice

Steep your hibiscus flowers or tea in a small amount of water with your sugar, letting it dissolve, thicken, and cool. Combine this newly made hibiscus syrup with your tequila, Cointreau or triple sec, and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously & pour into your margarita glass—sugared rim optional!

The Prince of Tarragon—Don Pedro

• 1 ½ oz gin

• 1 oz elderflower liqueur

• ½ oz cucumber liqueur

• 1 oz lime juice

• Seltzer/Club soda

• 2 sprigs of tarragon

Combine your gin, elderflower, cucumber, lime and tarragon into a tall glass with ice. Stir gently until all ingredients are combined, then top with your seltzer or club soda for a drink fit for royalty!

The Competent Officer—Dogberry

• 2 oz bourbon

• 6 blackberries

• Handful of fresh mint leaves

• Ginger beer

• 1 oz lime juice

Place your blackberries, mint, and bourbon in the bottom of a rocks glass and muddle thoroughly. Fill the glass with ice, then top with your ginger beer and lime juice. Perfect for a late night shift of guarding the estate!

 Much Ado TND: DRINKING RULES

To be played with juice, water, or (responsibly) with an adult beverage 

NUMBER ONE RULE: ‘WHOLESOME HYDRATION’

When you notice how much of a great time you’re having, it’s a good moment to take a sip of water or grab something to eat! 

Take a SIP every time:

• Someone’s audio gets fucky

• Any time Benedick looks hot. Get smashed.

• Don Pedro’s improv makes you lose it

• Beatrice is a #girlboss

• Leonato changes his lighting, two sips if the lighting doesn’t match anyone else’s

• Beatrice or Benedick’s dialogue gives off bisexual energy (“he hath every month a new sworn brother” etc)

• Leonato is a toxic boomer

• Claudio clearly goes on incel Reddit

• Gabe yells “just fuck already!” at the screen

• Kevin Fox (Gabe will tell you what this means)

Take a SWIG every time:

• An actor wins over Gabe with a bold new accent or costume choice

• Gabe says “Hero deserves better!!!!”

• Drink every time Dogberry accidentally uses a malapropism (says the wrong word)

• Borachio spills the tea and shit goes down

Take a SHOT or GULP every time:

• Sawyer CRUSHES Balthasar’s song

• Beatrice says “Kill Claudio”

• Dogberry is an ass 

• Benedick and Beatrice kiss

 Our Cast

LEONATO  

Played by Cecelia Gray (she/her, @ceceliaisgray)

Leonato is the father to Hero and the uncle to Beatrice. He deeply loves Hero, his only heir, and he cares for her future, but prides his familial reputation very highly—sometimes higher than the wishes of his daughter and niece. His family is well known and high class, and he is a close enough friend to the prince that he hosts him for celebrations after the war. He is brother to Antonia, and together they know how to throw a great party. 

HERO  

Played by Julianna Pollicino (she/her, @julianna_tp)

Hero is daughter to Leonato, cousin (and best friend) to Beatrice, and niece to Antonia. She is perceived by many as nothing but demure, beautiful, and naive, but she is incredibly smart and likes to take charge of her life as much as she can, though in a different way than Beatrice. Her inclination towards romance doesn’t alter the fact that she and Beatrice are the most important people in one another’s lives, and the pair would do anything to keep each other safe. 

BEATRICE 

Played by Kaileigh Fox (she/they, @kaicfox)

Beatrice is niece to Leonato and cousin (and best friend) to Hero. She knows what she wants, and what she doesn’t want- and what she doesn’t want is marriage. Beatrice’s pride, wit, and natural skills of defense and deflection give her power—but they also keep her from pursuing the thing that would make her the happiest (a dumbass fruit who wears a lot of button downs and has a name with the word ‘dick’ in it).
MARGARET 

Played by Andrea Allen (she/her, @andrearaereads)

Margaret is a waiting gentlewoman to Hero, and one of her closest companions. Bold, flirtatious, and sharp as a tack, Margaret isn’t afraid to call out anyone--her verbal sparring easily gives Benedick a run for his money. She’s incredibly affectionate at her core, but prefers to show her love with teasing companionship… except in the case of Borachio, with whom she has a prominent history and remains completely smitten with. 

URSULA 

Played by Liz Zarb (she/her, @liz_zarb)

Ursula is Hero’s personal attendant. Warm, observant, and genial, Ursula has a friendly relationship with nearly everyone she meets. Don’t underestimate her, though: she has a mischievous streak, and she is all too thrilled to indulge in it when Hero asks her to. She wants both Hero and Beatrice to find love, but knows that with those two, desperate times call for desperate measures. 

DON PEDRO  

Played by A.J. Young (he/him, @a.j.lastname)

Don Pedro is a prince, but don’t let that fact make you think he’s prim and proper: Pedro is also a soldier, freshly back from winning a war. He is close friends with Claudio and Benedick, although both are below him in rank and technically answer to him. He is brother to Don John. Pedro is the golden child, as his brother is a bastard, and venerated by everyone around him. He’s a good man; handsome, rich, and an ideal suitor, and everyone knows it: Leonato prizes his word very highly. He is also a good friend to Beatrice. 

COUNT CLAUDIO

Played by Riley Turner (she/her, @lungthief)

Claudio is a young & enthusiastic soldier, and the most recent best friend of Benedick. His prowess in the war has earned him a close seat to the prince Don Pedro, and he wears this honor like an excitable puppy wears a shiny new collar. Claudio is a little gullible, and prone to being swayed by anyone who plays on his insecurities, of which there are many. He falls for Hero fast, as he liked her before he went to war, but his pride remains the most important thing to him even as their relationship builds. He is jealous and easily wounded, but behind these walls he has a bleeding heart which always yearns to do good. 

SIGNIOR BENEDICK

Played by Al Lapajenko (they/them, @nofearshakesqueer)

Benedick is a seasoned soldier, slightly older than his best friend Claudio. He is a beloved friend of Don Pedro, and the natural antagonist to Beatrice. The one thing the two of them have in common is their hatred of marriage and romance—well, that, and the fact that they’re both secretly completely head over heels for one another. Benedick keeps Beatrice at a comfortable arm’s length away with their common love of wordplay and tendency to hide their own insecurities with charismatically aloof personas. Benedick handles the trauma of war with humor and apathy towards romance, but beneath the flamboyant exterior is a soldier with a steadfast moral compass.

BALTHASAR

Played by Sawyer Vega (he/they, @queerelfclub)

Balthasar is a musician living in Leonato’s estate, and a friend to all who live there. He sings beautifully, although he is a little self-deprecating about his natural talents. Balthasar brings the party wherever he goes, so he is often called upon to play a tune or a prank… whichever comes first. 

ANTONI(A)  

Played by Andi Honeycutt (she/they, @honeynutt.cheerios)

Antonia is the mother of Beatrice and the aunt of Hero. She uses her skills of eavesdropping and gossip to try to better the lives of the two young women, though her fervent enthusiasm sometimes makes her repeat false information accidentally. She has long given up on finding Beatrice a suitor, so she puts her efforts into Hero’s future instead. Regal and charismatic, many party-goers enjoy flirting with her, and she is more than happy to oblige their wishes.

DON JOHN 

Played by Aubry Poulin (he/him)

Don John is the illegitimate brother of Don Pedro, making him a bastard. He is absolutely aware of what the world sees him as, so he decides to act upon both this societal assumption and his personal distaste for his brother. He has a conniving heart, but leans on his companions to help him devise sinister plans to act out, all of which are intended to hurt the people that Don Pedro loves most.

BORACHIO

Played by Ana Barnes (she/her, @anan0tanna)

Borachio is a close friend of Don John. His love of drinking and other such pleasures doesn’t alter his prominent charm and his effortless magnetism, especially to Margaret, Hero’s companion. He hatches a plan with Don John to ruin Hero’s reputation for a quick buck, but his drinking habits later cause his plan to be foiled, and in the end his care for Margaret leads him to confess the plot and protect Margaret in the process.

CONRADE

Played by Julia Rouillard (they/them, @juliaisagrandma) 

Conrade is another one of Don John’s companions, and fervently gives Don John his full support, for reasons unknown. A self-proclaimed gentleman and scholar, Conrade is Don John’s voice of reason, and calms him down from his tempers. He holds himself in high esteem, even when the evidence about his morality says otherwise.

DOGBERRY 

Played by Ari Pollack (he/him)

Dogberry is the constable in Messina and the close companion of Verges. He holds his men to a golden standard, though his methods are a bit… questionable. Though he holds himself in high regard, he falls victim to malapropism, which causes confusion and chaos among his men. Under his direction, his men accidentally uncover the plot to dishonor Hero and eventually they save the day.

VERGES 

Played by Mel King (they/she/he, @cicerh0e)

Verges is the second most important member of the watch, right behind Dogberry. The two bounce off each other, winding one another up and solidifying each of their staggering senses of self-importance. Verges like to see things done the way Dogberry likes, and together they make a dysfunctional dynamic duo. 

FRIAR FRANCIS

Played by Kevin Fox (he/him)

Friar Francis is one of the only characters in the play with a solid head on his shoulders, able to handle the worst in everyone, and yet simultaneously see the best in them. He stands up for Hero when she needs it the most, and ultimately is the only one who ever resolves anything not accidentally. 

SEXTON

Played by Gigi (she/her, @vintageingenue)

Sexton is, unfortunately, bound to work with Dogberry and Verges. He can see through their nonsense, and can get exasperated with them, as most people do. He is the one who lets us know Don John has fled, confirming the story Borachio and Conrade tell. 

 Plot Summary

Don Pedro, Claudio, and Benedick come back from fighting in a war which they have won to be hosted at Leonato’s house. Benedick and Beatrice argue, as they do. Claudio declares that he is in love with Hero, Leonato’s daughter and Beatrice’s cousin. Benedick declares that he will never marry. Don Pedro tells Claudio that he will woo Hero for him. Don Pedro’s bastard brother, Don John, says that he would like to ruin his brother’s life. At a masked party Leonato hosts, Don Pedro successfully wooes Hero for Claudio, but not before Don John fosters doubt in Claudio by telling him that Don Pedro wants Hero for himself. Beatrice insults Benedick to his face, but due to the masks Benedick fails to realize Beatrice knows it is him and is deeply wounded. It is revealed that Claudio misunderstood the prince’s intentions and that Claudio and Hero will be wed in three days' time. Don Pedro spontaneously proposes to Beatrice, and when she refuses, he and their friends hatch a plan to make Benedick and Beatrice fall in love. 

Don John and Borachio scheme to break up Hero and Claudio. The plan is that Borachio will be with Margaret in Hero’s room, and call her Hero while Don John brings Claudio and Don Pedro to ‘catch’ them by watching the night before the wedding. Benedick overhears Leonato, Don Pedro, and Claudio talking about how Beatrice is ‘in love’ with him. He buys it, and says that he will love her back. Beatrice overhears Ursula and Hero talking about how Benedick is in love with her, but she is too proud for them to tell her. She resolves to set her pride aside and love him back. Don Pedro and Claudio make fun of Benedick for being in love, and when Benedick leaves, Don John convinces them to go spy on Hero’s room with him. Dogberry and Verges give instructions to the watchmen, who then catch Borachio and Conrade talking about the plan, and detain them. 

The next morning, Hero has Margaret and Beatrice help her get dressed. Beatrice is sick, and Margaret and Hero tease her about Benedick. On the way to the wedding, Dogberry and Verges stop Leonato, but he tells them to question Boarchio themselves and get back to him. At the wedding, Claudio shames Hero in front of everyone, claiming he knows she isn’t a virgin, causing her to faint and everyone to think she died. The guests, Claudio, and Don Pedro leave, with Benedick, Leonato, Beatrice, and the Friar remaining. Leonato threatens to kill Hero if the allegations are true, and Beatrice and the Friar defend her. The Friar proposes that they fake Hero’s death until they can prove the allegations false. Everyone else leaves, and Benedick and Beatrice confess their love for each other. Benedick tells Beatrice that he’ll do anything for her, and she asks him to kill Claudio. He refuses, but ends up agreeing to challenge him in a duel. 

Dogberry, Verges, and the Watchmen interrogate Borachio and Conrade. The story comes out, and the prisoners are sent to talk to Leonato. We find out Don John has fled. Antonia tries to comfort Leonato, until they cross paths with Don Pedro and Claudio, and they all almost fight, with Don Pedro and Claudio sticking to their story. Benedick arrives, and Don Pedro and Claudio try to joke with him and get him to raise their spirits, but Benedick simply challenges Claudio to a duel, resigns from Don Pedro’s company, and leaves, making the two men take him seriously. Dogberry and the watch bring the prisoners, who tell their story, and that Don John has fled. Don Pedro and Claudio realize that they were wrong, and killed Hero by their accusations. Leonato tells Claudio to repent he must marry his niece, who looks almost exactly like Hero, the next morning. Borachio insists Margaret was innocent, and should be treated as such, as he feels guilty. Benedick and Margaret joke, and Benedick asks her to get Beatrice. She does, and Beatrice and Benedick flirt. Benedick tells her of his challenge to Claudio. Ursula bursts in to tell the news of Hero’s innocence being proven, and they all leave to Leonato’s. Claudio reads an epitaph for Hero and promises to do so yearly. 

The next morning, Claudio is prepared to marry Leonato’s niece. Benedick pulls the Friar and Leonato aside to ask for help to marry Beatrice. The ladies all enter veiled, and Claudio promises to marry the woman in question before he is allowed to see her face- when he discovers it is Hero, and that she is still alive. Benedick publicly asks Beatrice if she loves him, to which she says no. He then denies loving her. Claudio and Hero pull out poems each has written to the other declaring their love, and they give up their ruse of not loving each other. Benedick and Claudio make up, as they will now be cousins by marriage. Benedick tells Don Pedro to get himself a wife, and insists they dance before heading to the church to be married.