Through August 21
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Shakespeare in Delaware Park
If you see a lot of classic Shakespeare, like the “Richard III” I saw at Stratford recently, you occasionally need the relaxation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
That’s the second show of the season for Shakespeare in Delaware Park.
It’s pleasant and entertaining, with some strong performances, particularly Chris Hatch’s Oberon and Tom Loughlin’s Nick Bottom, the weaver.
Shakespeare created this story on three levels, the battling fairy king and queen, Oberon and Titania (Tracie Lane); the “rude mechanicals,” Venetian skilled workers who want to put on a play for the duke’s wedding, fronted by Nick Bottom, the weaver; and, the wedding of the Duke Theseus (John Profeta) and his prisoner Hippolyta (Kit Kuebler).
The production has an acrobatic, over-the-top performance from Phil Wackerfus as Puck.
There’s also the complicated relationship among Hermia (Sabrina Kahwaty), Lysander (Brendan Didio), Demetrius (Zach Gammel) and Helena (Kris Bartolomeo).
Egeus (David C. Mitchell) wants his daughter Hermia to marry Demetrius and she wants to marry Lysander.
Dad decides to force the issue by going to Theseus and arguing if Hermia won’t go through with the marriage, she must face the law, giving her a choice between becoming a nun or being executed.
So, Lysander and Hermia decide to flee Athens and head through a forest to a relative of his, with Demetrius and Helena in pursuit.
The forest gets nearly overloaded with the four heading in, the rude mechanicals heading in to rehearse the play for the Duke’s wedding, playing their Kazoos, and Oberon and Titania’s marital feuding roiling the forest.
The humans can’t see the fairies although they can be seen by the fairies.
Oberon decides to play some games and sends Puck to interfere and his minion screws it all up, leading to Titania falling in love with Bottom who now has the head of a donkey.
Director Brian Cavanagh creates a fast-moving story, while not interfering with the madness on the stage.
There are probably enough entries to qualify “Dream” as a farce.
Finally, Oberon controls Puck and turns everyone into sleepers, to whom everything which has occurred is only a dream.
Theseus agrees to the marriages of Hermia and Lysander and Demetrius and Helena, even though Egeus is unhappy.
So, it’s going to be one of those multiple wedding days Shakespeare loved.
That brings on the play by the local tradespeople and it’s awful, bad script, poor performances and mass desire not to anger the upper crust.
You have to wonder if Shakespeare deliberately wrote a bad play scene or if this is some sort of attack on another playwright’s play scene.
It’s so bad, it’s funny.
David Dwyer kicked in another adaptation of the Saul Elkin Stage for the show and Jenna Damberger contributed costumes placing the show in Shakespeare’s time.
It’s another good time to head to Shakespeare Hill for an evening of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
A.W.
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