With a standing ovation, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” fascinated the crowd with the actors reciting Shakespeare’s work, while adding a modern twist to the classical play that is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596 by William Shakespeare.
The play is about two Athenian couples, Lysander and Hermia, played by Sam Nassar and Heather Maniccia, along with Helena and Demetrius, played by Natalie McRae and Trey Dickerson. Lysander and Hermia run into the forest because Egeus, Hermia’s father, played by Matthew Riewsky, prefers Demetrius as a suitor instead of Lysander. While Hermia and Lysander fled, a dispute arises in the forest when Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the fairies, played by Sam Holmes and Olivia Scott, argue over parenting a mysterious boy. Oberon then sends his servant Puck, played by Cameron McRae, to retrieve magic love drops that he will sprinkle on the eyelids of his wife that will cause her to fall in love with the first creature she sees after she has awakened.
Meanwhile, back in Athens, after seeing Hermia and Lysander flee into the forest, Helena and Demetrius decide to follow them. Once in the forest, Demetrius announces that he does not love Helena and plans to kill Lysander. Overhearing this, Oberon decides to put the drops also on Demetrius for the sake of Helena. Puck then makes the mistake of putting the drops on Lysander instead, and just as Helena walks by, Lysander wakes up and the spell is cast, giving him a love for Helena, which leaves Hermia shocked. As all of this goes on, a production of “Pyramus and Thisbe” is being rehearsed to be played for Theseus, the Duke of Athens, played by Max Hunter. Puck casts a spell on a weaver named Bottom, played by Olson Kelly, which gives him the head of a donkey and makes sure he is the first creature Titania sees when she wakes up. When it becomes clear to Oberon that Puck has messed up the chance for Demetrius and Helena to unite, he now has to reassure her that Demetrius is the one for her. Helena, however, now feels like she is being mocked by both Demetrius and Lysander.
In the end, Oberon decides to put his game to rest and puts them to sleep and gives both Lysander and Titania the antidote to reconcile with their other half. Theseus and Hippolyta, played by Heather Fuller, discover all four of them asleep in the forest and all return with what they thought was a strange dream. The play was then preformed at the wedding feast of the three couples with everyone giving their blessings and after that, they danced.
“With a story comprised of misplaced love spats, dancing fairies, a fool, and popular songs(of the current time), it’s easy to see why this material has endured 400 years after it was first performed,” director Lucas Howland said.
The scene, designed by technical director Aaron Stahlecker, was also an audience favorite. The set was built as a forest with a mysterious, yet magical feel to it that captured the essence of the play from start to finish.
“The set was amazing, and the technical aspects brought the whole play together,” Lauren Howland, audience member, said.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream was an incredible play full of unique acting and stunning technical aspects that formed this play into an engaging experience for all who went and the people who took part in it showed all of their hard work and dedication to make this play happen.
