A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM: Comedy by William Shakespeare and directed by Shana Cooper. California Shakespeare Theater, Bruns Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda, CA 94563. (just off Highway 24 at the California Shakespeare Theater Way/Wilder Rd. exit, one mile east of the Caldecott Tunnel.). 510.548.9666 or www.calshakes.org. September 3–28, 2014.
An earthy/athletic A Midsummer Night’s Dream at CalShakes [rating:4]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is probably the most produced of Shakespeare’s plays. CalShakes closed out their 2009 season with Aaron Posner’s version that featured the inimitable Danny Scheie as Bottom who is magically turned into an ass to woo bed and punishTitania Queen of the Faires. Once again, CalShakes closes out the 2014 season with another production of Dream with the scene stealing Danny Scheie as Puck and he does not disappoint.
Peter Brook’ version of Dream (1970 and 2012) is the standard by which all other production must be measured. It was a ‘dream’ production with trapeze artists flying high and brilliant staging creating awe within the audience. The talented director Shana Cooper, using multicasting, has brought the major cast down to eight in this earth bound production. They cavort in drab but inventive surroundings (set by Nina Ball) with stacks of cord wood backed by intertwined branches signifying the magical forest where most of the action takes place. That drab stack of cord wood magically sprouts flowers before the evening ends.
The play takes us from the mortal world of Athens to the charmed forest of the fairy band under the rule of Titania (Erika Chong Shuch) and Oberon (Daisuke Tsuji). In Athens, Theseus (Daisuke Tsuji) and Hippolyta (Erika Chong Shuch) are preparing for their marriage. Director Cooper sets the tone for the entire play with a fantastic physical mating ritual that must be seen to believe as Tsuji and Shuch roll around on the stage with athletic agility, never missing a dialog line, before he carries her off into the wings.
A secondary storyline involves the Hermia (Tristan Cunningham) who is betrothed to Demetrius (Nicholas Pelczar ) but loves Lysander (Dan Clegg) and Helena (Lauren English), in love Demetrius. Hermia’s father Egeus (James Carpenter), under the law of Athens, offers Hermia the choice of death or life in a nunnery. It is here one of the most quoted line appears: The course of true love never did run smooth. The truth of that statement is about to begin when Hermia runs off into the forest with Lysander.
Demetrius and Helena are in hot pursuit of the eloping lovers and everything goes awry. Troublemaker Puck, Oberon’s sidekick, then screws everything up. He is ordered to place a magic potion in the eye of Demetrius but places the potion into the eye of Lysander. It is not Puck’s fault that Athenians dress alike? Of course when Helena is the first person Lysander sees it is love at first sight. Oberon seeing the mistake, orders Puck to rectify the error by placing the drops into the eye of the proper Athenian, Demetrius. Alas the first person Demetrius sees in Helena and all hell breaks loose with both men pursuing Helena.
The physical action of the scene with the battling lovers as designed by Erika Chong Shuch, directed Shana Cooper and performed by the actors with the help of the ensemble is worth the price of admission.
In the meantime we meet The Mechanicals who are arranging to put on a performance of the tragedy Pyramus and Thisbe at the nuptial ceremony of Thesus and Hippolyta. Liam Vincent has the frustrating role as Peter Quince their director. The egocentric Bottom (Margo Hall) gets his comeuppance when Puck turns him into Ass complete with long ears, hairy body and a tale. The rest of the Mechanicals take off leaving Oberon to fall in love Bottom/The Ass. Alas, Puck intones, “Lord, what fools these mortals be.”
Before the evening ends there is the staging of Pyramus and Thisbe that has the audience in hysterical laughter. James Carpenter as Starveling, Catherine Castellanos as the Wall, Craig Marker as Flute (in drag) double the fun by playing their parts absolutely straight increasing the frustration exhibited Liam Vincent as the director.
Scheie gets to return in the final scene as Philostrate, Master of the Revels and displays his scene stealing ability. The play has been truncated and running time is 2 hours and 20 minutes with an intermission. Recommendation: A should see production.
CAST: Featuring: Daisuke Tsuji* (Oberon, Theseus, Ensemble); Erika Chong Shuch* (Titania, Hippolyta, Ensemble); Danny Scheie* (Puck, Philostrate, Ensemble); Dan Clegg* (Lysander, Ensemble), Nicholas Pelczar* (Demetrius, Ensemble); Tristan Cunningham* (Hermia, Ensemble); Lauren English* (Helena, Ensemble); Margo Hall* (Bottom, Ensemble); James Carpenter* (Egeus, Starveling, Ensemble); Catherine Castellanos* (Snout, Ensemble); Craig Marker* (Flute, Ensemble); Liam Vincent* (Peter Quince, Ensemble); Travis Rowland (Fairy, Ensemble); and Parker Murphy (Fairy Ensemble).
CREATIVE TEAM; Set Designer – Nina Ball; Costume Designer – Katherine O’Neill;
Lighting Designer – Burke Brown; Composer/Sound Designer – Paul James Prendergast; Voice and Text Coach – Lynne Soffer; Movement Director – Erika Chong Shuch; Resident Fight Director – Dave Maier; Stage Manager – Karen Szpaller; Assistant Stage Manager – Christina Hogan; Assistant Directors – Adin Walker, Rebecca Deutsch; Movement Collaborators – Travis Santell Rowland, Parker Murphy; Assistant Lighting Designer – Krista Smith; Assistant Movement Director – Melanie Elms; Production Assistant – Christina Larson
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com
