The Witty Battle of Love and Laughter Plays Throughout Shelby County and Beyond, Plus on the Tabor Stage, September 27 – October 19
Our Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series returns for its ninth season featuring Much Ado About Nothing in eleven different outdoor venues throughout the Shelby County area for free September 27 – October 19. William Shakespeare’s lively comedy of love, deception, and spirited banter also plays indoors on our Tabor Stage for one half-price-admission performance on September 28.
The Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series, which launches our 18th season in Memphis, is generously sponsored by Evans Petree PC and the Shakespeare Fund of Theater League of Kansas City.
Outdoor performances are free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required: first-come/first-seated. Patrons are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket for seating, and to picnic. The indoor Tabor Stage performance requires reservations by contacting our Box Office at tnshakespeare.org or (901) 759-0604.
Directed by TSC Associate Artistic Producer Stephanie Shine, this 90-minute production of Shakespeare’s popular romantic comedy features a 10-actor ensemble that includes TSC veteran Lauren Gunn (Dromio in last season’s The Comedy of Errors) as Beatrice and TSC newcomer Charlie Meeks as Benedick.
Also returning to TSC are Marquis Dijon Archuleta (Don Pedro/Watch), Jeremy Bukauskas (Friar Francis), and founding member Stuart Heyman (Leonato). The ensemble includes TSC newcomers Matthew Alter (Don John/Verges), Ethan Shaw (Claudio/Watch), Taylor Slonaker (Balthasar/Dogberry), and Natalie Tangeman (Hero/Sexton).
The design team includes Jeremy Allen Fisher (scenic and lighting), Allison White (costumes), and Joe Johnson (music composer). Cu Cukale is the Production Stage Manager.
The Free Shakespeare Series spans four weeks, opening on September 27 outdoors at Collierville Town Square’s Train Depot. The Series will perform at the Raleigh Library for the first time, and then returns to LaGrange, TN, at a new historic house venue named Reverie.
Returning venues from last year include Bartlett Performing Arts Center (outdoors), Davies Manor in Bartlett, Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Overton Park Shell, Overton Square’s Chimes Square Amphitheatre, St. George’s Episcopal Church in Germantown, and Wiseacre Brewery’s Broad Avenue location.
In Much Ado About Nothing, quick wit, overheard conversations, and intentional deceptions spark both comedy and momentary cruelty. Noble soldiers Don Pedro, Benedick, and Claudio return home from war to the Messina countryside and are welcomed by the women: young Claudio falling for Hero, while the spirited Beatrice and Benedick pick up immediately with their verbal sparring. Friends scheme to trick the sharp-tongued pair into admitting their hidden affections for one another, while darker plots of slander and false accusation threaten to tear Claudio and Hero apart. What follows is a tangle of wit, rumor, and disguise that ultimately is resolved in a festive union by Shakespeare’s malapropping creation of Constable Dogberry and his questionably-able Watch.
“This sparkling comedy brings with it chilling reminders of what can happen when unsubstantiated reports are held as truths,” says Shine. “All the characters in Much Ado About Nothing eavesdrop, repeat information, and conjure falsehoods at an amazing rate for a society lacking modern technology. The consequences are just as deadly now as they were then: to reputations, to relationships, and sometimes, to lives. Thankfully, with love and laughter, truths surface in this otherwise happy world. They are embraced, leaving us all with a deep appreciation of just and caring communities.”
Performance Schedule:
Collierville Town Square’s Train Depot; no reservations required
Saturday, September 27 at 7:00 pm
TSC’s Tabor Stage; half-price admission charged; reserve seats with TSC’s Box Office
Sunday, September 28 at 3:00 pm
St. George’s Church, 2425 S. Germantown Road; no reservations required
Friday, October 3 at 7:00 pm
Reverie House, 23660 TN-HWY 57, LaGrange, TN; no reservations required
Saturday, October 4 at 4:00 pm
Dixon Gallery & Gardens; no reservations required
Sunday, October 5 at 3:00 pm
Wiseacre Brewery, 2783 Broad Avenue; no reservations required
Thursday, October 9 at 7:00 pm
Bartlett Performing Arts Center (lakeside); no reservations required
Friday, October 10 at 7:00 pm
Raleigh Library, 3452 Austin Peay Highway; no reservations required
Saturday, October 11 at 3:00 pm
Davies Manor, 9336 Davies Plantation Road, Bartlett; no reservations required
Sunday, October 12 at 4:00 pm
Overton Square’s Chimes Square Amphitheatre; no reservations required
Friday, October 17 at 7:00 pm
under the Sunset Canopy at Tom Lee Park, Huling Avenue entrance; no reservations required
Saturday, October 18 at 4:00 pm
Overton Park Shell; no reservations required
Sunday, October 19 at 5:00 pm
Artistic and Production Bios
Marquis Dijon Archuleta (Don Pedro/Watch) TSC: Macbeth in Macbeth, Caesar in the Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series production of Julius Caesar, Laertes in Hamlet, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night. He is also a Master Teacher in The Romeo & Juliet Project. Acting: Sweeney in Cutler Bros. Theater’s production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Matthew Alter (Don John/Verges) Credits include: international tour of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Ali Baba), national tour of Treasure Island (Ben Gunn/Billy Bones/Tom Morgan), Our Town (George Gibbs), The Importance of Being Earnest (Jack Worthing), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander), The Mousetrap (Trotter), Art (Marc), Boeing, Boeing (Robert), The Tempest (Ferdinand), and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Monty Navarro). Matthew is a graduate of Rice University with degrees in Theatre and Mathematics.
Jeremy Bukauskas (Friar Francis) TSC: The Comedy of Errors (Duke Solinus), The Romeo and Juliet Project (Lord Capulet). Regional: Trumpet in the Land, The White Savage, The Music Man, All Shook Up!, Sword of Peace, Pathway to Freedom, The Wiz. Educational Theatre: Peter and the Starcatcher, Tartuffe, Peer Gynt, As You Like It, Lovers and Executioners, God of Hell. Jeremy earned his M.F.A. in Theatre from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Andrew Christenson (Asst. Stage Manager) TSC: Romeo and Juliet (Sampson/Paris), Twelfth Night (Fabian/Valentine; Asst. Stage Manager), Macbeth (Asst. Stage Manager), The Comedy of Errors (Asst. Stage Manager/messenger). Other performance credits: Escanaba in Da Moonlight, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Little Women, The Seagull, Miracle on 34th Street, Annie Get Your Gun. Stage Management: Emerge 360, Silent Sky, Murder Ballad, Emerge Student Dance Concert. Andrew is a local Memphian and a recent University of Memphis graduate, earning a B.F.A. in Theatre with a concentration in Performance. Andrew was a member of TSC’s 2024-25 Classical Theatre Apprentice Program.
Cu Cukale (Production Stage Manager): Stage Management credits: King Lear (Island Shakespeare Festival), A Lucky Chance (Island Shakespeare Festival), and Seussical the Musical (Youth Theatre Northwest). Director: Mean Girls the Musical (Broadway Bound Children’s Theatre). Acting: Much Ado About Nothing (Borachio), Sweeney Todd (ensemble), and A Chorus Line (Judy Turner).
Jeremy Allen Fisher (Production Manager; Scenic and Lighting Designer) has been with Tennessee Shakespeare Company since 2013, designing 30+ productions. An 18-year veteran in the entertainment business with multiple degrees and certifications, Jeremy is a member of Local USA 829 United Scenic Artists with experience in all aspects of lighting. Founding his design firm in 2019, he has worked on projects of all sizes across the country. He is the Resident Lighting Designer for Opera Memphis and Youngblood Studio. He recently redesigned Ballet Memphis’ annual production of Nutcracker and completed several major public art installations at St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, and Oregon State University. Since moving to Memphis in 2011, Jeremy has completed 200+ lighting designs in the city, been nominated for 12 Ostrander Awards with four wins, and in 2017 was awarded the TAC Individual Artist Award for his work in Lighting Design.
Lauren Gunn (Beatrice/Watch) TSC: Saint Joan, The Grace of Grace: Shining a Light through Shakespeare’s Broken Villains, Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Tempest, Cyrano de Bergerac, Macbeth, Henry VI, Romeo and Juliet, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, and Ada and the Engine. Southern Arena Theatre: Boeing Boeing, I Hate Hamlet. New Stage Theatre: Constellations, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Crimes of the Heart, A Christmas Carol, Cat in the Hat. Fish Tale Group Theatre: Voice of Freedom Summer. Lauren is delighted and honored to continue serving military Veterans at the Memphis V.A. Medical Center with TSC’s Feast of Crispian-South program. She is a member and associate instructor with Dueling Arts International. Education: University of Southern Mississippi (M.F.A.).
Stuart Heyman (Leonato) TSC: The Comedy of Errors (Balthasar/Officer), The Tempest (Gonzalo), Cyrano de Bergerac (Ragueneau), As You Like It (Adam), The Comedy of Errors (Duke Solinus), All’s Well That Ends Well (Lefew), The Taming of the Shrew (Baptista), Othello (Brabantio), As You Like It (Corin). Theatre Memphis: Dracula (Van Helsing). Circuit Playhouse: Peter and the Starcatcher (Alf) and Tom Sawyer (Doc Robinson). Desoto Family Theatre: My Fair Lady (Henry Higgins) and Oliver! (Fagin). Germantown Community Theatre: Man of La Mancha (Cervantes/Quixote). New Moon Theatre: The Homecoming (Teddy). Stuart is a founding member of TSC.
Joe Johnson (Music Composer) TSC: Saint Joan, Cyrano de Bergerac, and The Tempest, and many other shows elsewhere. Joe is a composer, sound designer, musician, and incessant doodler of circles. He enjoys making the absurd and bizarre feel like home. Visit semiaveragejoe.com for more.
Charlie W. Meeks (Benedick/Watch) Cumberland Theatre: Antony and Cleopatra, Macbeth. Emerald Coast Theatre Company: Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville, Treasure Island, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, and A Christmas Carol. West Virginia Public Theatre: Narnia the Musical, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and A Christmas Carol. Barter Players: Robin Hood, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Cry Wolf! Tecumseh! Outdoor Theatre: Tecumseh! Education: West Virginia University (M.F.A.).
Micki McCormick (Asst. Technical Director) TSC: technical director for Shout-Out production of The Comedy of Errors and The Tempest, and sound engineer for The Grace of Grace: Shining a Light through Shakespeare’s Broken Villains and A Streetcar Named Desire. Design Credits: Assistant for Opera Memphis’s La Bohème and La Calisto. Electrician for Opera Memphis’ The Rising and the Falling and the University of Memphis’ Rocky Horror Picture Show. Ostrander winner (2022) for the University of Memphis’ production of A Bright Room Called Day for Excellence in Sound Design.
Ethan Shaw (Claudio/Watch) Credits include: Cymbeline and Twelfth Night (Theatre at Monmouth, ME); King Lear, Company Cabaret, and A Christmas Carol (Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival); Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, and Edward III (Kingsmen Shakespeare Company, CA); and A Christmas Carol (Lyric Repertory Company, UT). Ethan has a B.F.A. with honors from Utah State University’s acting program with minors in music and chemistry.
Taylor Slonaker (Balthasar/Dogberry) is an actor, director, and educator. She trained at Shakespeare & Company (Lenox, MA) and the Circle in the Square Theatre (New York, NY). Favorite roles include: Midsummer Night’s Dream with The Rooted Voyageurs(Lysander/Mustardseed/Flute), Julius Caesar at Elsewhere Shakespeare (Brutus), and Circle Mirror Transformation at Ghent Playhouse (Lauren). Other credits: A Christmas Carol, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest.
Stephanie Shine (Director) in 16 seasons with TSC, her directorial credits include Twelfth Night, Hamlet, The Importance of Being Earnest, Emily Dickinson: I Dwell in Possibility, which she co-created with Denice Hicks, Henry VI: Wars of the Roses, Macbeth, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Henry V, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Julius Caesar, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Southern Yuletide, Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits, Shake(s), Rattle, and Roll, Shakespeare Said It, Lend Me Thy Sword, 12 productions of Romeo and Juliet, and 15 Literary Salons. On stage at TSC, she played the Abbess in The Comedy of Errors, Countess in All’s Well That Ends Well, the female roles in Unto the Breach, and Gertrude in Hamlet. Prior to joining TSC, she was Artistic Director of Seattle Shakespeare Company, a position she enjoyed for 13 years. Other directorial credits include King Lear and As You Like It for Houston Shakespeare Festival, The Taming of the Shrew and The Comedy of Errors for Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the award-winning one-woman internationally-touring Marilyn Monroe Biopic, Marilyn: Forever Blonde, and several new works for Seattle’s Book-It Repertory Theatre. Her production of I am of Ireland (which she also conceived and adapted) opened Book-It’s 25th Anniversary Season in 2014. As an actor, she has performed with the Oregon Shakespearean Festival, NYC’s Theatre for a New Audience, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Alley Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, ACT, The Empty Space, and Seattle Children’s Theatre, among others. Roles include Juliet, Rosalind, Lady Macbeth, Beatrice, Regan, Feste, Kate, Bianca, Dionyza, the Princess of France, Hero, Perdita, and the Chorus in Henry V. The Germantown Arts Alliance honored her with its 2016 Distinguished Arts and Humanities Medal for Performing Arts. Education: graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts; B.F.A in Acting from the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program; M.F.A. in Directing from the University of Memphis.
Natalie Tangeman (Hero/Sexton) Favorite roles include Northwester: As It Is In Heaven (Hannah), Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really (Renfield), Dave Malloy’s Beowulf (Grendel’s Mother/Academic 2), John Proctor is the Villain (Beth); and Actors’ Theatre of Columbus: Romeo and Juliet (Juliet). Natalie is a performer, educator, and director having worked with Griffin’s Tale Children’s Repertory Theatre and Seesaw Theatre. Natalie is a graduate of Northwestern University with majors in Theatre and Psychology and an emphasis in Theatre for Young Audiences.
Allison White (Costume Designer) has been the resident costume designer and costume shop manager at TSC for the last four seasons. TSC design credits include Saint Joan, The Importance of Being Earnest, Cyrano de Bergerac, Ada and the Engine, Macbeth, Henry VI: The War of the Rose. Her other design credits include I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Germantown Community Theatre); The Mousetrap, Blithe Spirit, You Can’t Take It With You (Theatre Memphis); Pippin, Between Riverside and Crazy, The Day is Long to End (University of Florida); Caroline, or Change (Cape Fear Regional Theatre); The Secret World of Og (Sarasota Youth Opera); Smokey Joe’s Café, All My Sons, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Theatre Raleigh). Allison has an M.F.A. in Costume Design from The University of Florida.
Box Office Information for Ticketed Tabor Stage Performance and All Free Outdoor Performances
Half-price tickets for Much Ado About Nothing indoors on our Tabor Stage are $22 (Students $10/Seniors $15).
Tabor Stage tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office at (901) 759-0604; open Tuesday-Friday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, and one hour prior to curtain. TSC is located at 7950 Trinity Road, Memphis, TN 38018-6297. No refunds/exchanges. The house opens 30 minutes prior to curtain. Credit Card charges require a $2.00 per-ticket fee. Free Tabor Stage parking and covered drop-off at the front door are available at TSC.
All other performances are outdoors, free to attend, and no reservations or purchases are required. Seating outdoors is first-come/first-seated. Please bring your own chairs.
The cast and schedule are subject to change with notice.
Season 18 Sponsors
TSC’s generous sponsors of the 18th season, productions, and Education and Outreach Program include FedEx, ARTSmemphis, Tennessee Arts Commission, James R. Humphreys, Nancy R. Copp, Evans Petree PC, Pat and Ernest Kelly, J. Walker Sims and the Sims Family Charitable Trust, Kathryn and Jim Gilliland, Anne and Mike Keeney, Independent Bank, Pete Pranica, First Horizon Foundation through an ArtsFirst grant, AutoZone, the Dunbar Abston Fund for Sustainable Excellence, the Barbara B. Apperson Angel Fund, and the Jack Jones Children’s Literacy Fund. TSC’s season is funded under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee.
