The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s four-part series of inside-the-play presentations focuses on its summer production of the witty romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing.

• June 4: Putting on the Show by HASF’s executive artistic director, Sidonie Garrett.
• June 11: Much Ado About Much Ado by Robert Willson, an emeritus professor of English at the University of Missouri-Kansas City
• June 18: Making It All Look Right by award-winning scenic designer Gene Emerson Friedman, the scenic designer for Much Ado and an associate professor of scenic design at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
• June 25: Wrapping Up the Show by HASF’s executive artistic director, Sidonie Garrett.

The series is co-sponsored by the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and SPARK (Senior Peers Actively Renewing Knowledge), which provides lifelong learning opportunities for adults ages 55 and older. It is affiliated with the UMKC.