POST FALLS — The recent aftermath of World War II offers the backdrop for Shakespeare Coeur d’Alene’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing” 

Mary Bowers, who is the executive director of Shakespeare Coeur d’Alene and is directing the show, said the plays focus on the return to a “new kind of normal” after the war. 

Rumors and razor-sharp wit run the characters through the gamut of emotions as they seek to turn the playful barbs of Beatrice and Benedick into feelings of romance instead. 

“It’s hilarious, it’s romantic, it’s dramatic,” Nicholas Kittilstved said. “It rocks.” 

This is Kittilstved’s second time performing “Much Ado,” but his first time playing the lead character as Benedick. He played the scheming Don John the first time he performed the show. 

“It’s much more fun to be the comedic and romantic hero,” Kittilstved said. "I love it. We have this romanticized version of the post-World War II era and the themes of the play lend themselves to that time.” 

Geneva Leonard is playing Beatrice and she said she was thrilled to step into the part after performing in Shakespeare Coeur d’Alene’s production of “Macbeth” last fall. 

“Shakespeare wrote her as such a strong, feminine, feminist figure of his time and she’s very strong,” Leonard said. “She’s kind of a mother figure to the hero and she’s kind of become the clown of the household.” 

She stressed that the interplay between being strong and soft was the main anchor for Beatrice throughout the story. 

“This era is one of my favorites and it works very well,” Leonard said. “The women had to do the jobs the men left behind.”  

The magic of Shakespeare’s words has always carried a huge impact for her, and Leonard called playing Beatrice “the dream of a lifetime.” 

Bowers said she’s excited to finally move the actors into the Salvation Army Kroc Center ahead of their performances June 6, 7 and 8 and then again July 2, 5 and 6, but it’s always a challenge to source costumes and sets within a chosen time period such as World War II.

“In this play, it’s romance, it’s love. It has to connect to men coming home from war,” Bowers said.  

Other productions of “Much Ado” have staged the show in pre-revolutionary Cuba, in India in World War I England and even in modern Los Angeles. 

Bowers chose immediately after Victory over Japan Day.  

“Romances are renewed and it’s a very hopeful play that has a couple of monkey wrenches thrown in,” Bowers said. “Hero and Claudio get together immediately, but then there’s that desire that everyone should be in love.” 

Shakespeare Coeur d’Alene has stressed making the works of the Bard accessible to audiences and by tying the show back to the courtship and love story of her parents, Bowers hopes to connect the centuries-old work with audiences of all ages. 

“I’ve often thought of that global conflict, so much death and deprivation and everything that went with it and what hope there must have been in the aftermath when life starts again,” Bowers said. 

Tickets are available at www.shakespearecda.org.

    Jacob Oritt as Dogberry explains how he apprehended Borachio played by Paul Tardiff during a rehearsal for "Much Ado About Nothing" through Shakespeare Coeur d'Alene. Also pictured: Amelia Polocz as Verges and Roger Huntman as Seacoal.
  

    Kevin Connell as Leonato and Seth Weddle as Claudio have a confrontation during a rehearsal of "Much Ado About Nothing." Also pictured: Max Quintal as Don Pedro and Beth Ellingwood as Antonia.
  

    Nicholas Kittilstved as Benedick challenges Seth Weddle as Claudio to a fight at Shakespeare Coeur d'Alene's production of "Much Ado About Nothing." The cast rehearsed Thursday event at Kootenai Classical Academy.