A Midsummer Night's Dream Review- Empress Theatre

A Midsummer Night's Dream is about a world of mountain folklore, rural tradition, and whispered superstition. Lovers cross paths under the cover of night while something wild and magical stirs deep in the woods. When a traveling troupe, feuding families, and mischievous forest spirits collide, reality bends and chaos takes hold beneath the summer sky. This production is placed in the moonlit hills of 1930s Appalachia. This reimagined Shakespearean classic blends poetic language with the rich atmosphere of the Appalachian mountains, where love is unpredictable, magic feels just out of sight, and nothing is quite as it seems once the forest wakes.

Direction:

The director for this production was Dallyn Steenerson. They took a different approach to Shakespeare, in a delightful way. Steenerson added a dance/movement and the beginning and end of the show. (Classical theatre almost always incorporates some kind of movement and song.) They also had their music director Drew Castleberry, who played Mustardseed, compose music to Shakespeare's versus that were meant to be sung. Knowing that Shakespeare can be confusing, Steenerson staged the production in a way that anyone could understand what was happening on stage. All of these aspects set the show apart in a positive way, making this production worth anyone's time to see.

The assistant director and choreographer for this production was Stormy Hintz. She choreographed movements and the beginning and end of the production. Hintz showcased all of the characters in the first number, kind of like an introduction. Both movements help bring the feel that the show was taking place in the south. 

The music director and composer for this production was Drew Castleberry. Throughout the production they had a real banjo with them and played it in spots of the show where it made sense. Them using a banjo was more impactful than just using a guitar because it helped set the setting even more. All of the songs they composed were beautiful to listen to. They also made sure the cast sounded beautiful as well.

Performances: 

This show would not have been able to be as fun as it was without the cast being able to play off of each other. I am going to highlight a few of my favorite performances.

Hermia was played by Kami McDonough. She played Hermia as bold and rebellious, defying her father and running away into the woods for true love. McDonough had a strong distain for her character's dad. Every line her character said had a strong emphasis.

Lysander was played by Tanner Larsen. He played Lysander as deeply romantic and loyal, though he briefly turns hostile and confused when magic makes him chase Helena. Larsen's energy, passion, and facial expressions throughout the show was made it easy to understand what his character was saying. You could truly see the love his character had for Hermia. When his character had the switch to loving Helena, you could see it through his whole body, which added to the comedy of the scene. 

Helena was played by Jezory Munoz. She played Helena as insecure and desperate out of unrequited love, but grows fiercely defensive and confused when both men suddenly claim to love her. The audience could see her character's distain for Hermia's success in love. When her character showed the others what Demetrius did when he had the switch to loving her, it was hilarious. 

Demetrius was played by Braxton Moore. He played Demetrius as stubborn and arrogant early on by rejecting Helena, but acts loving and calm once the magic spell fixes his feelings. When his character had the switch to loving Helena, his physicality added much needed comedy to that scene. Moore's performance showed how much he has grown as an actor since the first time I saw him on stage. 

Bottom was played by Biz Sharp. They played Bottom as loud, extremely confident, and foolishly dramatic, truly believing they are a master of every acting role. Sharp was easily one of the most entertaining characters of the night. 

Oberon was played by Torin Scoffield. He played Oberon as proud, calm, and controlling, scheming to trick his wife and control human matters with magic. Scoffield's fourth wall break was funny, since it was completely unexpected. 

Design:

The set and props were designed by Kali Anderson. Right when you walk into the theatre you feel that you are in the Appalachia. The set was simple, but detailed. The mural on the top with the mountain had an array of colors and helped show where they story was taking place. There was an array of large flowers and mushrooms to help show where the fairies lived. When the lights got dark and the mushrooms on the log started to glow, it added to the effect that they were truly in a magical place. The props for the production were simple- yet impactful. 

The costumer for the show was Nash Kenning-Ballesteros. I am obsessed with how cool the costumes all looked together and how well they flowed on stage. They put the humans in costumes you would find in the 1930's. The added touch they put for the main four to be in a similar color scheme looked well on stage. The fairies were put into earth tones, which made them look together. Nash put details on the fairy's horns, making them look all different from each other. The construction of the donkey head was well done as well.

Final Impressions:

Being one where the Empress is just around the corner from my house, the Empress is one of my favorite places to go see a show. This show is one that is safe for family members of ALL ages to go see. If you haven't see a version of the show, looking up the synopsis is never a bad thing, since it is Shakespeare after all. Maybe one of these days I'll meet you at the Empress!

Tickets