Uniting Stevens alumni and new talent alike, the Bethany Reeves-directed rendition of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” harmonized comedic modernization with respectful adherence to the original play for a memorable performance by all involved.
A lively blend of Shakespeare’s Athenian tale, royalty in the Athenian Court, a play troupe called the Working Folk of Athens, and the two rulers and residents of the Fairy Kingdom, the play creates a chaotic atmosphere with its unlikely character combinations. From the love between Fairy Queen Titania (played by alumnus Elizabeth Lamb) and a then-donkey-headed Nick Bottom (Ian DiGuilio), to the love quadrilateral among Hermia (Julia Cahn), Lysander (alumnus Colin Gliech), Helena (Rachel Watson), and Demetrius (alumnus Michael Paulauski), there was no shortage of situations for the characters to find themselves in.
The adaptation of Shakespeare’s story may be jarring to first-time viewers of a Shakespearian play because Shakespearian English is in full force, the actors sounding as if they were in 16th century. However, this adaptation toed the line of faithful reproduction and modern parody in the best ways. The wardrobes were fitting, with some actors clad in khaki pants and dress shirts, and others in lavishly regal garb, most notably Queen Titania’s sparkling white dress and King Oberon’s (alumnus Jackson Kelly) massive puffy shoulder pads and cape. All attires were fitting: the Working Folk of Athens dressed more casually in plaid shirts and slacks and the denizens of the Fairy Kingdom donned airy dresses with muted, though fantastical, earthy colors and wings.
Although the humor was not initially obvious with the actors’ Shakespearean dialogue, the laughs multiplied as the play progressed. The actors timed their comedic cues perfectly and effectively balanced the continuous shift in tones, from serious drama to over-the-top humor. The comedic performances of Ian DiGuilio, Rachel Watson, and Colin Gliech were outstanding throughout the play’s entirety. Michael Paulauski, Michael Marnell (Oberon’s chief servant, Puck), and Caroline Amaba (joiner and lion as an actor in the Working Folk of Athens) also kept the laughs rolling with their performances, excellently in sync with the rest of the cast.
Beyond comedy, the play also featured quality dramatic performances across the board. Julia Cahn delivered an especially effective performance as the scorned Hermia, maintaining her dramatic tone even when her character was thrown into comedic situations. Elizabeth Lamb brought a veteran quality to her performance that enhanced all around her, and made her character’s zany adventure all the more funny, with her professional and serious performance prior. Almunus Emily Rautenberg also delivered a live flute performance as Queen Titania’s musician during Queen Titania’s lullaby that no prerecorded version could have topped; the difference between a live performance and an actor feigning flute-playing is stark.
The term “school play” carries a litany of generalities and stereotypes of low budgets and amateurism. While the set was not extravagant (a beautiful forest backdrop and the stage being the extent of it), the performances defied the notion of a school play and often displayed qualities of true professionals. The ceiling for the actors in the DeBaun Performing Arts Center is only measured by the sets that they can build.
