UCSB Naked Shakes Presents: Much Ado About Nothing

UCSB’s Naked Shakes brings Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing to UCSB’s campus, performing in the outdoor Theater/Dance courtyard. Now in its 19th year, Naked Shakes is a UCSB ensemble that annually produces a Shakespearean play under the direction of Professor Irwin Appel. Critically acclaimed and award-winning, they not only perform on campus but have transported productions to the Southwest Shakespeare Company at Taliesin West (Scottsdale, Arizona), the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, Westmont College, and Center Stage Theater in downtown Santa Barbara. In the summer of 2023, they performed in Italy’s Verona Shakespeare Fringe Festival, performing The Death of Kings, their acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare’s history plays.  “Whether you are a Shakespeare lover or you have never seen a live theater production in your life, Naked Shakes’ Much Ado About Nothing is for you,” says Appel. “Sit back, relax and prepare to laugh and cry your way through this wild ride and deeply emotional and joyous adventure.”