William Shakespeare wrote 37 plays in his lifetime from “Romeo and Juliet” to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Now, the students of White Station are bringing the comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” to life onstage. The basic plot follows that Don Pedro, the Prince of Aragon, conspires along with young lovers Claudio and Hero to get Benedick and Beatrice to fall in love. Meanwhile, Don Jon, the evil bastard brother of Don Pedro conspires to break up the engagement of Claudio and Hero.
Brandon Lawrence, the new theater teacher and director of the play, chose “Much Ado About Nothing” because of its balance between romance and comedy. While this is Lawrence’s first year at WSHS, he has 12 years of experience, directing plays such as “Twelve Angry Jurors,” “The Elephant Man,” “Bye, Bye, Birdie” and several of his own works for a young audience.
“We have a nice mix of upperclassmen and new people [in the cast],” Lawrence said. “A lot of them are doing their homework on the play and are doing very well.”
Benedick, the arrogant, self-proclaimed bachelor who hates the idea of marriage is played by Nate Siler (12). He has been acting for two years, his last production being “The Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Benedick is considered one of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters.
“Benedick’s something else,” Siler said. “He’s a character who, in a Shakespearean romance story, feels incredibly modern. Benedick falls in love with someone who he’s really known before. It’s more of a tipping point than a sudden true love. Plus he’s a jerk all of the time, and it’s hilarious.”
There are also many fresh faces in this band of actors. Katherine Parker (9) plays Margaret, Hero’s lady-in-waiting.
“I wanted to read over the play to understand her a bit more,” Parker said. “I put her feelings into mine and put myself in her shoes so I could act like her. A lot of the actors do well with portraying their characters, and they relate to them in some way. They have a lot of confidence, and this is their way of expressing themselves.” cast.
Some characters that were originally male were recast as female for this production. One such character is the mastermind behind the show, Don Pedro, played by Raejah Bratcher (12)
“Mr. Lawrence is a really great director, and he takes your personality and fits it in with your character,” Bratcher said. “The casting is fantastic.”

Most of the male characters are being played by females. Talia Owens (12), who plays Don Jon, Sion Henry (12), who plays Conrade, and many more are giving these classic characters a twist.
White Station High’s production of William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” will open Dec. 1 and run through Dec. 3 in the WSHS auditorium.