Moonlit Midsummer

Last night I had the opportunity to see A Midsummer Night's Dream. Of all of Shakespeare's plays, this is one of my favorites. It's fun to just let your imagination run wild, enjoy the romance, and enter the land of the fairies for awhile!

I was particularly looking forward to this evening because of two things. First, we were finally going to give our former Artistic Director Dave Dorrell some recognition (he now has his lobby plaque!). Secondly, any set design by the Dorrells is always amazing! Dave and Jennifer are the best set designers I have ever known. The Midsummer set, while simple, is beautiful and did not disappoint. The moonlit background was fascinating to look at throughout the entire show. What looks to the audience as rocks is actually partially pillows for the comfort of the actors. Watching actors on a raked stage was very interesting. I could go on and on, but you just have to see it for yourself!

The show was so much fun! There are always times when Shakespeare is a bit hard to understand, but the play isn't difficult to follow. I had giggling children behind me. They loved the set, the costumes, and the action. In fact, I had children all around and they were mesmerized throughout the entire play and behaved quite well.

Lenton Lees (Lysander), Samantha Johnson (Helena), Andre Bluehs (Demetrius), and Taylor Schaepe (Hermia) really stood out. The scene when Demetrius and Lysander are fighting over Helena is hilarious. Samantha Johnson has quite a few lines during this scene, but I don't think the audience heard any of them - we were laughing too hard! This was Andre's first time on stage and he is a natural. Lenny is always fun to watch, he puts so many quirks and mannerisms into a role, which I think Andre matched quite well!

Dewyne Jefferson created Bottom's donkey head which was very well done. She directed A Christmas Carol for NCTC and her costumes are always awesome.

I especially enjoyed Tyler Winn (as Peter Quince), who has never appeared at NCTC before. Kudos to Kyle Lashley for taking on the role of Flute. He did a wonderful job. Jessica Hill received rave reviews from audience members. I have seen her perform before, so I knew it would be a treat.

Next weekend is the final weekend for Midsummer. The Friday and Saturday audiences were pretty full, so make your reservation early before the show is sold out. You won't be disappointed.