Three Minutes, Three Questions

Justin Scheuer Classical Edge Theatre Company

The play may be "Much Ado About Nothing," but there's much ado about something big in the future for the Classical Edge Theatre Company.

The company, founded in 2012 by Justin and Virginia Scheuer and David Jolliffe, has thus far focused on the works of William Shakespeare, as it will Sept. 12-13 and 19-20.

FAQ

‘Much Ado About Nothing’

WHEN — 6 p.m. Sept 12-13 & 19-20

WHERE — Lawrence Plaza, 300 N.W. “A” St. in Bentonville

COST — Free

INFO — Email scheuertheatre@gmai…

"With its gossip filled banter, battle of the sexes and constant war of wits, the Classical Edge's 'Much Ado About Nothing' will take you out to the old ball game," says director Virginia Scheuer. "This competitive, fast-paced comedy will have you on the edge of your seat as Don Pedro (Mark Landon Smith) plays matchmaker between opposing teams. You'll root for Hero (Alyx Clous) as she has a 'say it ain't so, Joe' moment and watch a whole new ball game unfold as Benedick (Justin Scheuer) and Beatrice (Jonny Schremmer) -- a match as far-fetched as Cardinals and Cubs fans -- fall in love."

But next on the slate of shows for the Classical Edge is the world premiere of Justin Scheuer's new play, "Masha's Seagull," scheduled to take the stage Nov. 7-8 and 14-15 in the black box theater at Fayetteville High School.

In this What's Up! Q&A, Justin Scheuer talks about both shows and the future of the professional company.

Q. Is the vision of the company changing with the upcoming original script? What is the "new" vision?

A. While providing free Shakespeare at the Plaza and enriching educational (edge-ucational) outreach is our main focus, we want to keep ourselves open to new works influenced by the classics, especially those like "Masha's Seagull," which is inspired by Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull." Virginia and I started the company primarily because we recognized the fact that Northwest Arkansas has a fantastic pool of talented, professional actors who have a passion for Shakespeare. We wanted to utilize that talent in order to help support local actors while simultaneously bringing fun, energetic, family-friendly productions to the public. "Masha's Seagull" started off as a pet-project -- it was both a love letter to my favorite writer's work and to my amazingly talented wife. I expected it to be in development for a couple of years, but we hit the jackpot by attracting the interest of Eric Hill, and we couldn't be happier about premiering the play here in Northwest Arkansas.

Q. How does the company fit in to the overall theater picture in Northwest Arkansas? Talk about your role in the future.

A. We are the only company in Northwest Arkansas that is devoted to doing Shakespeare every season, especially Shakespeare in the park. We are also devoted to hiring only local, professional actors. We don't outsource our actors, because we want to support the talent that we have here. Many talented local professionals will go years without a good, paying gig with one of the other theaters, and we love being able to help fill that gap. David Jolliffe is the director of our educational outreach and does amazing work with local schools, which allows students to make meaningful contact with Shakespeare. Shakespeare, after all, is the only author named by name in Common Core. He's going to continue to be a vital and important part of our school system.

Q. Why "Much Ado"?

A. After "Julius Caesar" last year, we're ready for a comedy, and "Much Ado" is one our absolute favorites, because it has a little bit of everything. We feel like it is one of Shakespeare's most accessible plays. It feels very modern and down-to-earth; it's very relatable.

-- Becca Martin-Brown

[email protected]

NAN What's Up on 09/05/2014

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