In case you don�t know, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING is a Shakespearean play. The action centers on two couples, Hero & Claudio and Benedick & Beatrice. Claudio and Benedick are best friends returning from a war. They stop in a town in Italy.
Claudio falls instantly and madly in love with Hero, as she does with him. They make plans to be married in a week. To pass the time, they with their friends, decide to set up Beatrice and Benedick, who are constantly bickering.
Hero and two of her friends allow Beatrice to overhear them saying how in love with her Benedick is. Claudio, Leonato (Hero�s father) and the prince allow Benedick to hear them say Beatrice is in love with him. They begin to pursue each other.
Enter the villains of the play, Don Juan, the prince�s brother, and his henchmen. They decide to split up Hero and Claudio. One of the henchmen is having a romance with one of Hero�s servants. He visits her during the night hours. She dresses in Hero�s clothes, which Claudio (who just happens to walk past) recognizes. She answers to the name Hero and Claudio is convinced that Hero has been unfaithful to him.
He publicly accuses her at their wedding. Hero collapses under the shame of it and apparently dies. Beatrice demands that Benedick prove his love for her by Killing Claudio in revenge. He agrees to do so, after a little bit of bickering.
They manage to prove Hero innocent of the charges brought against her. Claudio goes to weep and repent at her grave. Leonato accuses him of killing Hero. Claudio promises to marry another of Leonato�s daughters. A group of masked women come out. Hero takes off her mask and reveals herself to be alive. Claudio is thrilled to have his lover/wife, whatever she is back. Beatrice and Benedick discover their friend�s intervention, and claim indifference towards one another.
Claudio produces a letter or diary of some sort in which Benedick claims to love Beatrice. Hero reveals something similar from Beatrice. She begins to try to argue with him, but he silences her with a kiss. They resolve to marry that day in a double ceremony, and the play ends happily for everyone but Don Juan.
�Oh my God! It�s opening night. I don�t believe it!� Riley screeched.
�Did someone say �DIVA�?� Mickey whispered to Lily.
She snorted. �I think so.�
Riley looked across the crowded backstage and glared at them.
They both gave patent �innocent� looks. When she looked away he whispered, �Are you ready?�
�Yeah, I just want to run lines one last time.�
�Which scene?�
�What�s the only scene I have lines in with Claudio?�
�You have lines in lots of scenes.�
�Yeah, but they�re few and far between. Mostly, when I�m onstage I�m not talking.�
�All right, we�ll run lines from the scene when Claudio realizes Hero�s alive.�
�Thank you!� She grinned, jumped up and hugged him spontaneously. She stepped back and adjusted her little hat. (Picture Olivia Hussey�s (Juliet) costume from the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet.)
Mickey blushed and looked down. He began:
Claudio: Give me your hand before this holy friar. I am your husband if you like of me.
Hero: (Taking off her mask) And when I liv�d, I was your other wife,
And when you lov�d you were my other husband.
Claudio: Another Hero!
Hero: Nothing certainer:
One Hero died defil�d, but I do live,
And surely as I live I am a maid!
Mickey took her hand, and stared deeply into her eyes.
Lily stared up, as if in a spell. As if in a dream, he lowered his mouth to hers, and explored it with soft loving tenderness. After less than thirty seconds he pulled back. �Other people�s lines.� He said breathlessly. She nodded, though she didn�t really hear what he said.
She watched him say something. �What?� She asked.
�Your line Lily.�
�Oh.� She shook her head to clear it.
Hero: And here�s another
Wit in my cousin�s hand, stol�n from her pocket
Containing her affection unto Benedick.
Mickey smiled. �And we all live happily ever after.�
�Yeah right!� Lily giggled, breathless.
�OK everyone, places!� Tobias, better known as Toby, bellowed.
�Gotta go.� Mickey smiled. �Good luck tonight.� He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
�Thanks.� She smiled back.
He squeezed her hand and vanished into the tech booth. She stared after him. Kay practically pounced. �I saw that kiss! What is going on with you Lily? Why didn�t you tell me you and Mickey are together?�
�We�re not.� Lily said, still stunned.
�Then what was that kiss about?�
�We were running lines.�
�If you kiss Jimmy like that onstage I�ll have a hard time holding Erica back.�
�Ha-ha.� Lily said sarcastically.
�I�m serious.�
Lily stared up at the tech booth.
�What�re you thinking?� Kay asked.
�I�m thinking that maybe I spoke too fast when I told Belle I absolutely didn�t want to get involved with Mickey.�
Kay looked down and grinned. But when Lily turned around, Kay�s face was perfectly straight.
�What do you think?� Lily asked her best friend as they took their places backstage.
�I think it�s about time.� Kay whispered
Lily stared at her in astonishment, then grinned also. �I guess.�
Opening night went fabulously. Even Mickey had to admit (however grudgingly) that Riley did a wonderful job as the witty sharp-tongued Beatrice. And Lily took his breath away. Even in the relatively dull role of Hero she had a presence that lit up the stage.
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