Bard’s Bad Boys was originally intended to be a ‘scene night’ showcasing some of Shakespeare’s greatest villains. However, the imaginations of the cast and crew took flight during this production and it gradually turned into the Shakespeare Society’s first full-scale performance. The play used scenes from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, The Merchant of Venice, Othello, and Titus Andronicus combined with narration scripted by co-authors Tadzi Bvumbe and Kate McLaughlin to create a story of an aging detective reflecting on the great cases of her career. Each of the five villains were placed in a modern setting. Don John transformed into a drug-dealing pimp, Richard a modern tyrant, Shylock an immoral banker, Iago a cutthroat businessman, and Aaron a mafia leader. Considering that it was BUSS’ first production, the Bard’s Bad Boys was a huge success. It considerably changed the course of BUSS’ future by combining the members’ academic interests in Elizabethan plays with the desire to perform those plays for the public.

The Cast
 

Detective Kate Bard –– Kate McLaughlin 

Much Ado About Nothing
Borachio –– Jared Casey
Don John –– Kalman Gacs
Beatrice –– Ashley Agbay
Hero –– Sarah La Piana
Don Pedro –– Joseph Jerome
Claudio –– Deon Provost
Leonata –– Rebecca Orecchia
Sister Francesca –– Ursula Rice

Richard III
Richard, Duke of Gloucester –– Josh Nicholson
Lady Anne –– Grace Smith
Gentleman –– Ben West
Corpse of Henry VI –– Momoko Sato
Queen Margaret –– Katrina Carmichael
Duchess of York –– Rachel Pastarnack
Queen Elizabeth –– Ksenia Ryazanova

The Merchant Of Venice
Shylock the Jew –– David Kovacs
Bassanio –– Jared Casey
Antonio –– Ben West
Solania - Meghan O'Keefe
Salarina –– Jane Schwartz
the Duchess –– Helen Lin
Nerissa –– Becky Hawthorne
Portia –– Sarah La Piana

Othello
Iago –– Matt Stein
Othello –– Deon Provost
Roderigo –– Jeff Hollocher
Cassio –– Rebecca Orecchia
Lodovica –– Ashley Agbay

Titus Andronicus
Aaron –– Obed Lira
Demetrius –– Jeff Hollocher 
Chiron –– John Lux
Tamora –– Rachel Pastarnack
Lavinia –– Meghan O'Keefe
a Goth –– Becky Hawthorne
Lucius –– Ben West

The Crew

Authors: William Shakespeare, Kate McLaughlin, Tadzi Bvumbe
Producer: Tadzi Bvumbe
Production Manager: Kate McLaughlin
Director of Much Ado About Nothing: Rachel Gibson
Director of Richard III: Beca Love
Director of The Merchant of Venice: Meghan Sheridan
Director of Othello: Allison Short
Director of Titus Andronicus: Tadzi Bvumbe
Technical Director: Allison Short
Asst. TDs: Tadzi Bvumbe and Kate McLaughlin
Stage Manager: Sarah Kenney
House Manager: Agnes Gyorfi
Costume Design: Allison Short
Assistant Costume Design: Ksenia Ryazanova, Rebecca Orecchia
Props Mistress: Liz Eng
Make-up Directors: Jane Schwartz, Meghan O'Keefe, Tadzi Bvumbe 
Photographers: Agnes Gyorfi and Kalman Gacs