Albion College’s performance of William Shakespeare’s well known satire, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” kept the audience delighted on Saturday afternoon in Herrick Theatre.
Directed by Albion College theater department chair Zach Fischer, Albion’s interpretation of the play mirrors the original, written by Shakespeare in the mid 1590s.
Fischer sets this version in the summer of 1969, allowing love and laughter to fill the plot and humor audience members from start to finish. Woodstock themed costumes and a colorful set create an interesting background for the show.
“I’m always interested in finding the humor woven into the drama, and when it’s a comedy, I always go looking for the darkness,” wrote Fischer in the director’s notes.
Shakespeare roots his play in the variability of the human heart. He places bumbling love and glittering fantasy in the hands of mischievous fairies to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
Oberon, King of the Fairies, acted by Carlton Williams, a senior, and Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, acted by Juji Berry, a senior, were key players in ironic schemes fed by jealousy and spite. However, in this created universe, fairies are just as flawed as mortals.
As Oberon and Puck dish out love potions, the exhilarating dreams resolved in a happy ending for each of the couples, mortal or fairy. Ending with a play within a play, the audience rolled with laughter as characters Snug (Cailee Bywater), Bottom (Noah Ascensio), Flute (Governor Stovall), Snout (Zach Neithercut) and Starveling (Gabriel Corona) put on their own love story for Theseus, the Duke of Athens (Terrell Johnson).
Admission is free for Albion students and faculty with an Albion ID card at the Herrick Mainstage. Otherwise, the cost is $5 per ticket.
Available Showtimes:
Friday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Nov.16 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 21 at 8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m.
Cast:
THESEUS, Duke of Athens- TERRELL JOHNSON
HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus- LANA BIBBS
EGEA, Mother to Hermia- ALLISSA SIDERS
HERMIA, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander- AVA BOYD
HELENA, in love with Demetrius- MACI MOSS
LYSANDER, in love with Hermia- SAM VANDERVEEN
DEMETRIUS, in love with Hermia- ANGEL ARGUIJO
PHILOSTRATE, Master of the Revels to Theseus- PEACH NORMAN OWEN
QUINCE, the Carpenter, plays PROLOGUE- RYAN KLOOSTER
SNUG, the Joiner, plays LION- CAILEE BYWATER
BOTTOM, the Weaver, plays PYRAMUS- NOAH ASCENSIO
FLUTE, the Bellows-mender, plays THISBE- GOVERNOR STOVALL
SNOUT, the Tinker, plays WALL- ZACH NEITHERCUT
STARVELING, the Tailor, plays MOONSHINE- GABRIEL CORONA
OBERON, King of the Fairies- CARLTON WILLIAMS
TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies- JESSICA NEAL
PUCK, or ROBIN GOODFELLOW, a Fairy- JUJI BERRY
PEASEBLOSSOM, a Fairy- WILLOW MONTAGUE
MOTH, a Fairy- RAVONNE DENT
MUSTARDSEED, a Fairy- DIANA TELLO
COBWEB, a Fairy/FAIRY ONE- ELENA MOURAD
FAIRY TWO- PEACH NORMAN OWEN
I attended Friday night’s opener and thought the performance brilliant, the set design and music exceptional (I’d like a playlist, please). If you’re ready to laugh, the conflict scene and play-within-the-play had me howling. If you’ve never experienced Shakespeare before, read a synopsis, then go to this production. Bravo and Brava!