A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Free For All, Sept 2, 2015
Each year, the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington,
DC put on one Shakespeare play at the very beginning of their season that is
completely free to the public. Tickets are raffled or included in a season
ticket, and I was lucky enough to win a pair of tickets on the second night of
this limited, two-week run.
This year, Ethan
McSweeney has returned to the Shakespeare Theatre to revive his 2012 production
of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with a few original cast members and a host of
new talent as well. Adam Green has returned to reprise his portrayal of Puck,
the mischievous right-hand man of the Fairy King, Oberon, now being played by
Dion Johnstone. I never did see the 2012 production of this play, but from the
amazing performance I saw last night, I’m very glad that they decided to revive
it for the 25th Anniversary of the Annual Free For All.
The four lovers, are always the romantic highlight of a
Midsummer, with the war between the men, to the all out brawl between Hermia
and Helena while the men are enchanted. Julia Ogilvie is both pitiable and
hilarious as the tall Helena, chasing after her lost love, only to gain both
him and Lysander, when Puck confuses Athenian men. As her friend and foil,
Chasten Harmon is an earnest Hermia with an impressive fire when it seems her
love has left her. As their dueling suitors, Ralph Adriel Johnson (Demetrius)
and Stephen Stocking (Lysander) are almost too enjoyable; not only in their
fights, but in the special new portrayals they have brought to their
characters. Stocking wears a guitar as a crooning lover, while Johnson wields a
golf club a bit like a sword as a quick-tempered juxtaposition to his rival. Green’s
impish Puck assists in escalating both the stakes and the comedy within the
fights, pitting the men and women against one another while adding mud, water
and all sorts to the entertaining chaos.
Not to be forgotten, The Rude Mechanicals are a rare
treat for anyone with an ear for classic Broadway show-tunes and a soft spot
for an ambitious amateur theatre troupe. While the antics in the forest are
always a source of great amusement, it is within the ‘Tragicall Comedy of
Pyramis and Thisbe’ where these actors are put to the greatest use. The piece
is drawn out ten-fold beyond the script as everything that can go wrong will
for these poor tradesmen. I don’t want to spoil their antics for any future
audience members who may decide to apply for the lottery in the next ten days,
but trust that I laughed more than I have in the many versions of this scene
that I have witnessed. McSweeny and his
actors have made some bold, bold choices.
As a Free For All performance, I felt like I left the
theatre absolutely spoiled by such an amazing production – from the absolutely
breath taking costumes, and sets to the gorgeous music and talents on everyone
on and off the stage. If you have a free night, hell if you don’t, change your
plans! The Shakespeare Theatre Company has given Washingtonians access to an
amazing production that is understandable, relatable, while also hilarious and
magical; it is everything Shakespeare should be. Each year, the Shakespeare
Theatre Company uses this first production as a way of introducing audiences to
Shakespeare, and I can’t imagine a more enjoy first meeting.
