What Happened While Hero Was Dead

by Meghan Endres Brown

Being dead can change your life. 

After the virtuous Hero of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is accused of wanton behavior and ditched at the altar, another false rumor spreads: the rumor of Hero's death. Hidden away in the maid's quarters, Hero is desperate to clear her name so that things can go back to normal... until some unexpected encounters reveal that being dead might be the best thing that could...

Being dead can change your life. 

After the virtuous Hero of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is accused of wanton behavior and ditched at the altar, another false rumor spreads: the rumor of Hero's death. Hidden away in the maid's quarters, Hero is desperate to clear her name so that things can go back to normal... until some unexpected encounters reveal that being dead might be the best thing that could've happened to her life. 

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What Happened While Hero Was Dead

Recommended by

  • Ross Peter Nelson: What Happened While Hero Was Dead by Meghan Endres Brown
    “

    I fell in love with this piece as soon as I read it. It's fun and flirty, feminist and sex-positive, and Hero's monologue at the end just wrecks me every time. Great play!

    I fell in love with this piece as soon as I read it. It's fun and flirty, feminist and sex-positive, and Hero's monologue at the end just wrecks me every time. Great play!

    ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend: What Happened While Hero Was Dead by Meghan Endres Brown
    “

    This play is gorgeous and hilarious, and it raises some excellent points about society and the agency of women (or lack thereof) at the time "Much Ado About Nothing" is set - and today as well. What a well-crafted, wild ride of a play. I would love to see that sex ballet on stage!

    This play is gorgeous and hilarious, and it raises some excellent points about society and the agency of women (or lack thereof) at the time "Much Ado About Nothing" is set - and today as well. What a well-crafted, wild ride of a play. I would love to see that sex ballet on stage!

    ”
  • Nick Malakhow: What Happened While Hero Was Dead by Meghan Endres Brown
    “

    This play is absolutely hilarious and uses such sharp and biting satire to shine a light on the social structures that negatively impact women, on the ways society pits women against each other and themselves, and on the narratives told around female desire, intimacy, independence, and more. Super brilliant use of the source text that skewers its glaringly bizarre and misogynistic aspects. There are also these quiet and subtle moments of tenderness that break up the supremely well-paced hilarity throughout. I'd love to see this read, developed, staged, produced far and wide.

    This play is absolutely hilarious and uses such sharp and biting satire to shine a light on the social structures that negatively impact women, on the ways society pits women against each other and themselves, and on the narratives told around female desire, intimacy, independence, and more. Super brilliant use of the source text that skewers its glaringly bizarre and misogynistic aspects. There are also these quiet and subtle moments of tenderness that break up the supremely well-paced hilarity throughout. I'd love to see this read, developed, staged, produced far and wide.

    ”
View all 12 recommendations
CAST SIZE: At least 5 (3F, 2M). Ideal cast size (6 - 10) would split up double cast roles and include a few extra bodies for the ensemble / chorus of lovers.

HERO (she/her) Surface: Innocent. So sweet so good so pretty so pure. Underneath: expressive, emotional, thoughtful.

BEATRICE (she/her) Hero's cousin. Smart. Sharp. In control.

MARGARET (she/her) Hero's ladies maid. Sarcastic. Delighted by conflict. Deep pain.

BENEDICK (he/him) Arrogant but can back it up. Charming. Less woke than he thinks.

*LEONATO (he/him) Hero's father. Representative of the old ways.

*BORACHIO (he/him) Drunk, horny, vaguely bad news but also fun?

*DON PEDRO (he/him) A good guy! Clueless prince.

*CLAUDIO (he/him) Not the brightest. Just some dude. Maybe sweet? Who knows.

CHORUS (any gender) The gossipy residents of Messina and/or LOVERS. For the 5-actor version, the chorus is made up of the four non-Hero performers in masks.

*Leonato, Borachio, Claudio, and Don Pedro can all be played by the same actor.

Development History

  • Workshop, University of Oklahoma, 2022
  • Reading, Great Plains Theater Conference, 2021
  • Reading, Moving Arts' MADlab, 2019

Awards

  • Current semi-finalist (as of Feb 2022)
    O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
    Semi-Finalist
    2022