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Meet the Cast: Much Ado About Nothing

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is excited to announce the cast for this season’s production of Much Ado About Nothing.

This is the Festival’s ninth production of Much Ado About Nothing, the first being in 1965 and the most recent in 2016. It will be the first time the Shakespeare comedy will be produced in the indoor Randall L. Jones Theatre.

Director Brad Carroll notes that Shakespeare’s comedy takes us on a romantic romp, brimming with hilarity, love, and wildly wicked wordplay contrasted with darker themes of deception, loss, and revenge.

Much Ado About Nothing is really much ado about everything and discovering, when all is said and done, what is truly most important,” Carroll said.

The lead cast is as follows:

Walter Kmiec

Walter Kmiec is debuting at the Festival as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing and Duke of Norfolk in Henry VIII. Other roles include those at Orlando Shakes, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Endstation Theater Company, and more. Film credits include The New Year, and Kmiec boasts teaching credits at Stetson University and Florida State University. He received a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from Florida State University and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Rodney Lizcano

Rodney Lizcano is also debuting at the Festival as Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing and Gremio/Player in The Taming of the Shrew. Other roles include those at The Denver Center, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. Lizcano received a Master of Fine Arts from the National Theatre Conservatory and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Jimmy Nguyen

Jimmy Nguyen is returning to the Festival as Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing. Previous roles at the Festival include Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Featured Performer in Gold Mountain. Other roles include those at The Kennedy Center, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Hope Repertory Theatre, and more. Nguyen received his education at Doane University and Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre. Awards include the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region V Irene Ryan winner, National Mark Twain Award for Comic Performance, and Jane Alexander Emerging Artist Award. He is an Equity Membership Candidate.

Melinda Parrett

Melinda Parrett is returning to the Festival as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Josephina/Widow/other in The Taming of the Shrew. Previous roles at the Festival include Annie in The Play That Goes Wrong, Mrs. White in Clue, and Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, among many others. Parrett has also performed at The Denver Center, Goodspeed Opera House, Geva Theatre, and more. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Dariana Perez

Dariana Elise Pérez is debuting at the Festival as Hero in Much Ado About Nothing and Lady in Waiting/Working Woman/Party Guest in Henry VIII. Other roles include those in Twelfth Night at Ten Thousand Things, Troilus and Cressida at Guthrie Dowling Studio, I Am Betty at History Theatre, and more. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of Minnesota and is an Equity Membership candidate.

Marco Antonio Vega

Marco Antonio Vega is returning to the Festival as Don John in Much Ado About Nothing and Surrey/Servant/Executioner in Henry VIII. Previous roles at the Festival include Narrator in the Every Brilliant Thing Tour, Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Paris in Romeo and Juliet, and more. Other theater credits include Puck in William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) at The Reduced Shakespeare Company. He boasts teaching credits at Utah Tech University and Southern Utah University and was a recipient of the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Michael and Jan Finlayson Acting Award in 2017. Vega received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Southern Utah University and a Master of Fine Arts from University of San Diego.

The supporting cast is as follows:

Ashley Aquino

Ashley Aquino is returning to the Festival as Ursula in Much Ado About Nothing and Featured Performer in The Greenshow. Previous roles at the Festival include Mustardseed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Featured Performer in The Greenshow. Other roles include Lucy in You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Frenchie in Cabaret, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and more at Southern Utah University. Aquino received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Southern Utah University.

Evelyn Carol Case

Evelyn Carol Case is returning to the Festival as Verges/Attendant in Much Ado About Nothing and Brandon/Patience/other in Henry VIII. Previous roles at the Festival include Mrs. Bates/Ensemble in Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical and Prince Escalus in Romeo and Juliet. She has appeared onstage with Prague Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare Orange County, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Laguna Playhouse, and ten seasons as a resident artist with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Trent Dahlin

Trent Dahlin is returning to the Festival as Conrade/Candle Bearer in Much Ado About Nothing and Wolsey’s Secretary/Gardiner in Henry VIII. Previous productions at the Festival include Pericles, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Twelfth Night, among others. Other roles include Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol at Theatre Squared, Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility at Lyric Repertory Theatre, and more. Film credits include Mission Stories and American Prophet. Dahlin received his education at Southern Utah University and is an Equity Membership Candidate.

Darin F. Earl II

Darin F. Earl II is returning to the Festival as Soldier/Friar/First Watch in Much Ado About Nothing and Sands/Campeius/Dr. Butts in Henry VIII. Previous roles at the Festival include Claudius/Ghost of Hamlet in Shakespeare in the Schools Hamlet Tour, Painter/Varro/Soldier in Timon of Athens, Sicinius Velutus/Roman Citizen/Soldier in Coriolanus, and more. Off Broadway productions include Ye Bear and Ye Cubb at 59E59 Theatres. Other acting credits include A Midwinter’s Night Dream at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Richard II at Luna Stage, and Love’s Labour’s Lost at Scranton Shakespeare Festival. Earl II boasts film credits including Hell House Origins and 825 Forest Road and received a Bachelor of Arts from Rider University.

Blake Henri

Blake Henri is returning to the Festival as Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing and Grumio/Player in The Taming of the Shrew and Previous roles at the Festival include Robert in last season’s The Play That Goes Wrong and Karl Lindner in A Raisin in the Sun. Other roles include those at Cleveland Playhouse, Dallas Theatre Center, and Oklahoma Shakespeare Festival to name a few. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts at The University of Oklahoma.

James Carlos Lacey

James Carlos Lacey is debuting at the Festival as Borachio/Candle Bearer in Much Ado About Nothing and Lucentio/Player in The Taming of the Shrew. He has been in off–Broadway productions of Trapped and in roles at The Kennedy Center, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Solas Nua, and more. Film credits include Shallot, and the actor is a founding member of the Undertow Theatre Collective. Lacey received a Master of Arts from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London and a Master of Fine Arts from STC Academy at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Valerie Martire

Valerie Martire is making her debut at the Festival as Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing and Bianca/Player in The Taming of the Shrew. She has been in productions of Mauritius, The Wolves, and Appropriate at Illinois Wesleyan University, where Martire also received a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Awards include Best Actress in an Indie Film (Top Shorts 2023).

Patrick Vest

Patrick Vest is debuting at the Festival as Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing and Lowell in Henry VIII. Other roles include Iago in Othello at Nebraska Shakespeare, Macbeth at Shakespeare by the Sea, Major Arnold in Taking Sides at Rubicon Theatre, and many more. Vest received a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Matthew Wangemann

Matthew Wangemann is returning to the Festival as Attendant/Oatcake/Candle Bearer in Much Ado About Nothing and Featured Performer in The Greenshow. Previous roles at the Festival included those in last year’s productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and The Greenshow. Off-Broadway productions include Pinkalicious: The Musical. Other roles include those at Alliance Theatre, Pickleville Playhouse, Hale Center Theater Orem, and more. Wangemann was in multiple productions at Southern Utah University, where he also received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre.

Spencer Watson

Spencer Watson is returning to the Festival as Balthasar/Sexton/Messenger in Much Ado About Nothing and Monk/Guard/Party Guest/Anglican Priest in Henry VIII. He was in last season’s production of The Greenshow. Other roles include Betty/Edward in Cloud 9, Cinderella’s Prince/The Wolf in Into the Woods, and Whizzer in Falsettos at Southern Utah University. Watson was also Brutus in Finding the Fickle Fortune and Smee in Peter Pan at Pickleville Playhouse. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre Performance from Southern Utah University.

Henry Woronicz

Henry Woronicz is returning to the Festival as Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing and Lord Chamberlain in Henry VIII. Previous roles at the Festival include Henry V, Macbeth, Richard III, and more. He also directed As You Like It, Taming of the Shrew, Coriolanus, among others. Broadway credits include Julius Caesar. Other credits include those from American Players Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and much more. Television credits include Seinfeld, Ally McBeal, Cheers, and more, while film credits include Primary Colors, Living Out Loud, and The Good Catholic. Woronicz was the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director and Executive Producer at Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. He boasts teaching credits as Head of MFA Acting, Illinois State University and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Braedon Young

Braedon Young is returning to the Festival as Soldier/Seacole/Candle Bearer in Much Ado About Nothing and Scribe/Messenger/Party Guest in Henry VIII. Previous roles at the Festival include Abram in Romeo and Juliet, Robin Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and other roles in All’s Well That Ends Well and King Lear. Other theater credits include Georg in She Loves Me, Roger in Don’t Stop Me, Father in Paperboy, and more. Additional credits include multiple solo performances at Carnegie Hall and earning a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theater at The Manhattan School of Music.

It’s not too early to purchase tickets. The play lineup for the 63rd season includes Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, The Winter’s Tale, The Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado About Nothing, along with the hilarious The 39 Steps, the moving Silent Sky, and the inspirational The Mountaintop.

The season runs June 17 through October 5.

Visit here for more information about the play. Catch up here on our 10 Fun Facts about Much Ado About Nothing. Don’t miss out on our study guide, where you can find a synopsis, character summaries, and several articles on the play.

What's On

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As You Like It

June 18 - September 6, 2025

Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre

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Steel Magnolias

June 21 - October 4, 2025

Randall L. Jones

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The Importance of Being Earnest

June 20 - October 4, 2025

Randall L. Jones Theatre

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A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

June 19 - October 3, 2025

Randall L. Jones Theatre

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Macbeth

June 16 - September 4, 2025

Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre

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Antony and Cleopatra

June 17 - September 5, 2025

Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre

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