ome trade the Philadelphia Fall for a Sicilian Summer! The tables are laid with olives, grapes, fresh bread and wine and in the air is the roar of the ocean, the bright scent of orange and lemon trees...and love, so when Don Pedro and his men stop in Messina on their way back from a year-long military campaign, their thoughts turn from warring to wooing.

Benedick and Beatrice, however, continue to wage their ‘merry war of words’ only surrendering to love through the trickery of their friends. The dashing Count Claudio meanwhile falls desperately in love with his host's daughter, Hero, but Don Pedro's half-brother, the bastard Don John, devises a plot to disgrace Hero and destroy the match. Claudio falls headlong into the trap and, believing her to be unfaithful, denounces his bride at the altar; Hero collapses and is left for dead. Of course, it all turns out to be, well, much ado about nothing, and Claudio and Hero will be reconciled thanks to the clumsy but surprisingly effective detective work of Constable Dogberry and his watchmen. Even Beatrice and Benedick, both sworn bachelors, leave off their warlike wooing long enough to marry.

Following their successful foray into the forest for A Midsummer Night's Dream (September 2001), the Undergroundlings return indoors to their permanent residence, Harnwell's picturesque Rooftop Lounge, for this production in the round of Shakespeare's dark comedy about a paradise disrupted by slander and evil.

Back Row, left to right:Brad Pennington, David Kurnov, Ian Kaplan, Samuel Willcocks, Akiva Fox, Jeff Barg, Anna Bracewell, Karen Mims

Middle Row, left to right:Kate Davis, Eric Jacobson, Adam Gordon, Serena Halley

Front Row, left to right:Scott Perez-Fox, Ned Chatelain, Rachel Courtland, Molly Lazer, Ben Kamine, Francesca Amendolia

Photography: Rachel Julis

he Undergroundlings' 2001-02 season kicked off with Shakespeare's best-loved comedy, a tale of fairies, love potions and asses' heads. For two nights only, College Green was transformed into the magical wood outside Athens where four lovers find themselves surrounded by the feuding fairy monarchs, Oberon and Titania, and their supernatural subjects.

Just three days after the September 11 attacks on the US, the Underground Shakespeare Company performed in front of large, appreciative audiences to demonstrate our refusal to succomb to terrorism. Over 500 people saw our production, and found that they could laugh without feeling guilty and without forgetting the awful reality around us. It was, as one spectator commented, "very civilized" to join together as a community of actors and audiences to enjoy this charming, lighthearted play. On opening night, members of the company lit candles in memory of the victims of the attacks, and thanks to the generosity of our audiences, we were subsequently able to donate $600 to the American Red Cross.

Standing, from left to right:Scott Perez-Fox, Molly Lazer, Russ Addis, Heather Haseley , Adam Gordon, AJ Cabrera, Rachel Courtland, Melanie Leibner, Emily Anderson, Nabih Bulos, Nigel Caplan

Kneeling, from left to right: Atissa Banuazizi, Gary Kurnov, Serena Halley, Bradley Moore, Dan Fishback, Anna Bracewell, Jamie Davis, Kate Davis, Ian Kaplan

Photography: Karen Mims

Better a witty fool than a foolish wit!

he Undergroundlings' debut production was Shakespeare's greatest festive comedy. In the fairy-tale land of Illyria, nothing that is, is - or rather, everything that is, is. Two twins are shipwrecked, each thinking the other is dead. The girl (Viola) decides that the only way to save herself is to dress as a boy, Cesario, and serve the love-sick Duke Orsino, who sends him/her to woo the fair Countess Olivia. But Olivia is in mourning for her dead brother, and wants nothing to do with the Duke - although this new messenger quite takes her fancy. Oh yes, and Viola falls madly in love with Orsino.

How will this fadge?

Twelfth Night has everything: cross-dressing and cross-gartering, confusion and disguise, pirates and clowns, music and dancing, love and marriage, and a bit with a dog. OK, there's no dog (despite the cast's best attempts to persuade the director).

For this production, we used the 1623 First Folio text, performed with no lighting effects and a minimal set. The result was fast and furious! More information about the Folio in performance is available here.

But that's all one, our play is done
And we'll strive to please you every day!

(Illustration from the title page of Twelfe Night in the First Folio, from Penn's digital copy .)

Back row, from left to right:Karen Mims, Ian Kaplan, Nabeeh Bulos, Akiva Fox, Tanya Levina, Francesca Amendolia, Atissa Banuazizi, Russ Addis, Jamie Davis, Ciara Brady, Bradley Moore, Kate Davis, Nigel Caplan, Manok Susarlam, Alex Chernyavsky.

Front row, from left to right:Anna Bracewell, Gary Kurnov, Whitney Miller, AJ Cabrera.

In front:Alyc Helms.

Photography: Elan Ruskin