Northampton Community College’s Theatre Department will present William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” as its final production of the college’s 2022-2023 school year. The comedy will be presented April 13 - 16 in the Lipkin Theatre, Northampton Community College, 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem Township.

NCC Theatre Department Chair William Mutimer, who is directing the play, says it’s one of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, written between 1598-99. The play was included in Shakespeare’s First Folio, published in 1623.

The story revolves around two romances that begin when a group of soldiers arrive in Messina and two of them fall for local young women.

The first romance is between Claudio and Hero and is nearly ruined by the accusations of the villain, Don John.

The second romance is between Claudio’s friend Benedick and Hero’s cousin Beatrice, who say they are not interested in love. Their relationship takes center stage with the characters’ wit and banter providing much of the humor.

Mutimer says that Shakespeare used the title’s play on words to reference the secrets and trickery that form the backbone of the play’s comedy, intrigue and action.

Through “noting,” which sounds like “nothing” and means gossip or rumor, Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other, and Claudio is tricked into believing that the virginal Hero is promiscuous.

Mutimer has assembled a cast of 27 college students, alumni and community actors.

Michael J. Sheridan and Lydia Walker, NCC theater students, play Claudio and Hero, respectively.

Sheridan recently appeared on the NCC stage as Leon Czolgosz in the fall musical “Assassins,” and was in “Footloose” and “Something Rotten!” for NCC’s Summer Theatre.

Walker also performed in NCC’s “Assassins,” as well as playing Susan in Cedar Crest College Theatre’s production of “Company.”

NCC alumni Justin Fenner and area actor Tatiana Torres take on the roles of Benedick and Beatrice, respectively.

Fenner, an East Stroudsburg resident, has previously been on the NCC stage in “Little Foxes” and “The Pillowman.”

Torres, a DeSales University graduate and Allentown resident, has performed in “The Burn” and “Citizen: An American Lyric” at NCC, and “The Fox on the Fairway” and “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” at the Pennsylvania Playhouse.

NCC alumni Daniel Sottile plays the evil Don John. Sottile, an Allentown resident, has appeared at NCC in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Avenue Q,” “The Rover” and “Assassins.” He was Director of Children’s Theatre at Insomniak and Assistant Artistic Director at Allentown Public Theatre.

The cast includes Christopher Gibbs, Jacqueline Fedonvszak, Meghan Lawler, Sage Eugene Buie, Max Wetherhold, Travis Nugent, Justin Ferguson, Isaiah Elleby, Morgan Flagg-Detwiller, Buster Page, Andy Van Antwarp, Colleen Popper, Brody Baron, Mina Price, Elle Podwats, Amber Smith, Jadean Nicholas, Connor Sternberg, Kevin Gaughenbaugh, Melissa Munroe, Britney Preston and Alden Detwiller.

“Much Ado About Nothing,” 7:30 p.m. April 13-15; 2 p.m. April 16, Lipkin Theatre, Northampton Community College, 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem Township. Tickets: 484-484-3412; http://ncctix.org

“Curtain Rises” is a column about the theater, stage shows, the actors in them and the directors and artists who make them happen. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com