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Creative Team

Meet the Company

Olivia Spirz

Beatrice

Olivia has had a blast being a part of this production and playing such a fun character as Beatrice! She fell in love with Shakespeare in her semester abroad studying at the London Academy of Dramatic Arts. Other theater credits include Eva Jackson in Absurd Person Singular, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank! She also has a new podcast, Spiritual Practices of the Disgruntled Artist, which she co-hosts with the wonderful Ari Hader. Thank you all for coming to the show!

Alec Reusch

Benedick

Alec Reusch grew up in Falls Church, Virginia and holds a BA in theatre from The Ohio State University. Recent theatre credits: Drat! The Cat!; Promises, Promises (The Group Rep); Once (Curtis Theatre). Film: The Late Game. He is thrilled to be acting in his first Fringe show!

Emily Grace Gargiulo

Claudio

Emily Grace Gargiulo, also known as EGG, is a versatile performer. She thrived in the community of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy’s Studio (Acting) Conservatory, later completing both her B.F.A. and M.A. at the AMDA College of the Performing Arts. Emily started her journey in her hometown of Chesapeake, Virginia and enjoys participating in stage combat seminars, choreographing with her sister, and personal training for her friends and family. Past credits include “Lucentio” in The Taming of the Shrew and “Fight Captain” in Tabletop: The Musical. EGG would like to thank this brilliant production team for making her Fringe debut an absolute blast!

Mina Kess

Hero

Mina Kess (she/her) is a SAG-AFTRA actress and prolific Shakespeare fan. Born and raised in SoCal, she began her acting journey at the age of 7, later graduating from AMDA College of the Performing Arts with a BFA in Theatre and Film. Her past theatre roles showcase an impressive capacity to perform nothing but Shakespeare, from Bianca in a production of The Taming of the Shrew, to Luciana in The Comedy of Errors. Her dream role is Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Outside of acting, she is also a renowned cosplayer and self-taught costume maker, with over 215K followers across her Instagram and Tiktok, @minakess. On top of all that, she is excellent at math. Mina would like to thank Bad Host & Co.’s team for bringing queer Shakespeare to the forefront of modern theatre, and making her first Fringe experience a success, while allowing her to check a dream role off her list.

Erin Galloway

Don Pedro

Erin Galloway is pleased to return to the Hollywood Fringe festival with Much Ado About Nothing. His past performances with Shakespeare's works include Twelfth Night, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet, and he is excited to play the Prince in Bad Host & Co's production of the Bard's classic comedy.

Richard R. Rosales

Leonato

Richard is excited to be taking the stage in his first Fringe show as Leonato! L.A. native, he started his career as a gospel soloist. He has been actively studying Musical Theatre and Classical Voice with Cathy Gabrielle Wallace (Culver City, CA) since 2008. Recent Roles: Melvin P Thorpe, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Morgan Wixson); Roger, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 (Theatre Palisades); Mort, Monarchs (Morgan Wixson); Lumpy, La Piñata (Teatro Fogata); Buddy, I Don’t Have To Show You No Stinkin Badges (Morgan Wixson); Sherlock, Sherlock Meets The Bully of Baker Street (CCPT); Mr. Feldzeig, The Drowsy Chaperone (Morgan Wixson)

Ari Agbabian

Don Jon/Dogberry

Ari is thrilled to be performing with this cast of Much Ado About Nothing. An avid admirer of Shakespeare, Ari has played the roles of Shylock and King Lear at the Long Beach Shakespeare Company as well as Toby Belch (Twelfth Night) and Stephano (The Tempest) with the Colonials in Santa Monica. Television and streaming credits include Paramount, History, and Doogtoons.

Annie Klups

Margaret

Annie Klups is graduate of San Diego State University, where she received her B.A. in Theatre and Acting. She has also studied and performed at Shakespeare’s Globe in London. Her favorite theatre credits include: Cleopatra in Antony & Cleopatra, Emma in Stupid F***king Bird, and Crystal in Lying With Badgers. You can also see her in her most recent film role as Jane in Elmstone. She feels so lucky to be apart of such an amazing cast and crew for her first time performing in the Fringe Festival! She would like to thank her lovely director Evelyn along with the rest of the Much Ado production crew for this wonderful opportunity. She would also like to give a special thanks to her mom for always believing in her no matter what!

Wayne Jay

Crew #1

Wayne has been performing on stage and off for most of his life and he is beyond grateful for the opportunity to finally share the stage with his son. He would like to thank Beth, Ian, and Alec for everything.

Mary-Clare Bone

Crew #2

Mary-Clare Bone is an actor from Alabama who received her BFA in Theatre with a concentration in acting from The University of Alabama just last year! This is Mary-Clare’s LA theatre and Hollywood Fringe debut and she couldn’t be more thrilled to have spent it working with this incredible cast and crew! She is very grateful for this company’s support and community and knows you’ll love this show just as much as she does! Past credits include: Julius Caesar (Metellus/Volumnius), Eurydice (Eurydice), Gloria (Ani/Callie/Sasha)

Evelyn-Claire Smith

Director/Editor

Evelyn-Claire Smith is a writer, performer, director, and the lead creative behind Bad Host & Co. She is also an avid fan of Shakespeare & this production is her second time directing his work in Los Angeles, after her production of Romeo & Juliet at the Whitmore Lindley in 2024. Besides her stage credits, EC is an avid poet, musician, fiber artist, and cinefile. Stay tuned for news about her upcoming short film, Red Mush, and check out her website for more looks at how she spends her time. She is eternally grateful to her parents & siblings for their support; everything she is comes from who they are. What a gift! evelynclairesmith.com

Ryan J. Whitlock

Producer

Ryan is the reason we get any paperwork signed on time and why the budget is in the green. He will also be helping stage manage. He recently produced The Super Trio for the 2024 Hollywood Fringe Festival, which was nominated for the Zephyr Zest award and sold out multiple shows. In addition to producing, he is an avid musician and is aiming to release an EP by the end of the year. Ryan believes that all any project needs is a little ‘je ne sais quoi’… which is why he ALSO believes in working with a competent production team.

Nikki Marie

Assistant Director

Nikki is honored to assistant direct this production. They're also in charge of the marketing, costumes, and social media! She was recently in a UCLA feature film, a Goo Goo Dolls music video, and was 2nd AD for three Kevin Hart-produced short films. When she's not acting or backstage, she enjoys writing poetry and performing burlesque. She's passionate about getting other people's ideas off the ground and into completion. Film: 2nd AD (Hartbeat Studios); Production Coordinator (Black Rifle Coffee Co.); Producer (Family Jewels). Theater: "Cory" in Private Eyes (Theatre Palisades); "Sophia" in The Super Trio (Hollywood Fringe 2024); "Korrow" in Tabletop: The Musical (MB Stage); "Sam" in Sober Housemate Wanted (Minnesota Fringe Festival); "Helena" in A Midsummer Night's Dream (GREAT Theater); "Wendy" in Peter Pan (GREAT Theater)

Louisa Brott

Production Designer

Louisa is a Latina production designer with a passion for creating spaces that tell stories. For this show, she blends vibrant, modern aesthetics with classical elements, crafting a familiar yet playful new world that reflects the wit and warmth of Shakespeare's comedy. Her work is driven by her love for bold, expressive design that celebrates both character and emotion. She draws the most joy and inspiration from working on lush romances and lighthearted comedies, so she feels truly at home in the world of Much Ado. Her work has been featured on Max, Hulu, and Discovery+!

Photos

Modern MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Opens at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2025

The timeless wit of William Shakespeare collides with the glossy facade of modern media in a bold new production of Much Ado About Nothing, coming to The Zephyr Theatre as part of the 2025 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Set in a glittering, liminal space where the echoes of war fade into the filtered perfection of reality television, this adaptation brings the Bard's comedy into the uncanny now.

In this reimagined villa, the war is over-and the cameras are rolling. The guests? The blessed and beautiful stars of a reality show, immortalizing their untouched lives in the glow of their own curated image. The battlefield may be behind them, but as with all things in paradise, boredom brews chaos. The young soldiers arrive not to rest, but to perform-on and off screen-while secrets, schemes, and romantic entanglements unfold under the ever-watchful eye of the lens.

Director Evelyn-Claire Smith says, "The cast is incredible! We have put a great deal of love into the script and the production and I can't wait for people to see this new adaptation of the original enemies-to-lovers."

What makes this production different? This is Much Ado like you've never seen it. A live video projection will be used in real-time by the actors themselves, blurring the lines between performer and voyeur. Intimate moments are captured on a handheld camera and broadcast onto the walls of the stage.

This is Shakespeare's comedy of errors and eavesdropping, now recontextualized for a world where even the most private truths are edited for public consumption. When everyone's always watching, the only thing left to do is perform. When one has everything they could need and more, problems must be made; especially when the camera is on them. Can forgiveness find its way into the Villa? Can its members keep a calm head, even with the cameras on them? If they do, will we have a good show?