HERO DOGBERRY by Monica Cross

[Full-length Verse Comedy]
Updated draft posted: Feb 28, 2023
Hero and Beatrice have been masquerading as the constable of the night watch, Dogberry, and his deputy, Verges, while all the able bodied men of Messina have been away in the Princes' civil war. When the men come home from battle, Hero plans to put her disguise away forever in favor of making a vow of "til death do us part....
[Full-length Verse Comedy]
Updated draft posted: Feb 28, 2023
Hero and Beatrice have been masquerading as the constable of the night watch, Dogberry, and his deputy, Verges, while all the able bodied men of Messina have been away in the Princes' civil war. When the men come home from battle, Hero plans to put her disguise away forever in favor of making a vow of "til death do us part." But when she is accused of adultery at the altar, she puts on her disguise once more to discover the truth.
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HERO DOGBERRY

Recommended by

  • Aili Huber:
    11 Oct. 2023
    “ What a charming and smart play! Cross solves so many of the problems Shakespeare gives us, in ways that are consistent with his characters and text, and yet also surprising and delightful. The commitment to upholding and critiquing Shakespeare's text is present in every line.

    Her verse is solid and contains rhetorical and metrical tools for actors familiar with Shakespeare's toolbox, but it is also accessible. Strong recommend, and would love to see this in rep with Much Ado! ”
  • Chelsea Frandsen:
    25 May. 2023
    “ Much Ado About Nothing has always been my go-to as far as the Bard's plays are concerned, even with it's rough edges. In this adaption, Monica Cross smooths out those edges beautifully, making Hero a woman to be reckoned with, and the subplot involving Margaret, Borachio and Claudio more sympathetic than originally written. Thank you Monica for making a longtime favorite even better! ”
  • Jillian Blevins:
    20 Dec. 2022
    “ HERO/DOGBERRY offers all the charms of Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead with a shrewdly feminist edge. This companion piece to Much Ado About Nothing reimagines Hero as a protagonist with agency, wit, and fortitude rivaling heroines like Viola and Rosalind. It also addresses Claudio’s maddening lack of accountability in Shakespeare’s play through a climactic scene that’s both satisfying and heart-rending.

    Monica Cross deploys an impressive mastery of verse in HERO/DOGBERRY; more than once, I had to check the source material to be sure whether a line was hers or Shakespeare’s. ”
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Character Information

I believe in and support the use of identity conscious casting in an expansive and intersectional way throughout my work. I promote racial, ethnic, gender, ability, and size diversity in this casting choices used to produce this play.

  • Hero
    18,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    woman
    A young woman pretending to be an old man, in love with Claudio.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Claudio
    18,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    Man
    A Count, in love with Hero, friend of Don Pedro and Benedick.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Margaret
    26,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    woman
    Waiting woman to Hero, in love with Borachio.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Borachio
    32,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    Man
    Henchman to Don John, In love with Margaret.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Beatrice
    27,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    woman
    Hero’s cousin, a young woman also pretending to be an old man, out of love with Benedick.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Benedick
    28,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    Man
    A Lord, former lover of Beatrice, friend to Don Pedro and Claudio.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Gemma
    50,
    Any race/ethicity
    ,
    woman
    A seamstress, who also pretends to be a man.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Don Pedro
    30,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    Man
    Prince of Aragon
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Meadowlark Shakespeare Players
    ,
    2024