Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing — New Swan Theatre Festial, 2025
Design Notes
This Wild West–inspired production of Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Eli Simon, reimagined Shakespeare’s comedy through the lens of the spaghetti western. The design embraced the grit and romance of the American frontier while keeping flexibility for New Swan’s repertory staging.
The primary backdrop was a saloon interior, its red wallpaper created with a hand-painted roller to achieve an authentic period texture. At the center stood a bar constructed from rough wood slabs and barrels, complete with swinging saloon doors, giving the stage a vivid focal point that could be quickly struck or reconfigured for other scenes. Antique signage and layered details—weathered finishes, rustic props, and hints of frontier architecture—grounded the world in both history and cinematic influence.
By merging Shakespeare’s witty battles of love and deception with the visual language of western cinema, the design created a playful but textured environment. The saloon backdrop, bar, and signage invited audiences into a world where duels of words and hearts unfolded in a dust-filled landscape of gunfighters, gamblers, and lovers.
