Shakespeare, for many people, evokes memories of high school English class, studying strands of complicated sentences with no obvious meaning. Even the most avid fans of Shakespearean plays do not always consider them particularly funny, but daunting to decipher.
Those who study his large body of work regard Shakespeare’s wit as best actualized by the interactions between characters, such as in the twisted plot of enchanted lovers in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which opened at the O’Reilly Theater on Thursday, Jan. 21 and runs through Feb. 21.
“Midsummer” revolves around the romantic entanglements of four main characters: Hermia (Lindsey Kyler), Helena (Beth Wittig), Lysander (Lucas Near-Verbrugghe) and Demetrius (J.T. Arbogast). Lysander and Hermia are in love, but Hermia’s father wants her to marry Demetrius, who Hermia loathes but Helena loves. Unfortunately, Demetrius does not share these feelings for Helena and treats her poorly, which only seems to intensify Helena’s affection. Because of Egeus’ disapproval of their love and the forced marriage of Hermia and Demetrius, Hermia and Lysander plan to run away from Athens and marry in secret, during which they stumble upon a mysterious wood inhabited by fairies and other magical folk. The keeper of the wood, Oberon (David Whalen), has his servant, Puck (Harris Doran), play a trick using a love potion on the travelers. Puck’s trick backfires as both Lysander and Demetrius ironically end up falling in love with Helena, much to her disbelief.
Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of “Midsummer,” directed by Ted Pappas, is Shakespeare as it was meant to be seen. The O’Reilly’s set-up resembles that of a coliseum in Greece, where the story takes place, with the stage positioned on the floor and cathedral seating surrounding it on three sides. Audience members in the front row were inches away from the action as actors used the whole floor and stairways as their stage. Entrances and exits were made from all sides, which engaged the audience in the head-turning action – such as Helena and Demetrius’ entrance from the rear and Puck’s ascent on a side ladder.
The characters also, at times, seemed aware of the audience, naturally gesturing in its direction and further drawing spectators into the magical world and bizarre story.
As the plot progresses from simple to complex with the inclusion of fairies and magic potion, so does the stage transform. A shower of leaves begins to fall from overhead as what once appeared to be a decorated wall is revealed as a facade hiding trap doors and flowery decorations.
Pappas’ spot-on direction of the characters adds life to the show, particularly in his interpretation of their action within the story.
Kristen Rylander, a Public Theater season ticket holder who attended the opening night of “Midsummer,” believed it was the director’s influence that made the show unique.
“I’ve seen a lot of versions of this, and the characters are doing a great job of interpreting the words [in this production],” Rylander, 43, of Carnegie, Pa., said. “I think this is the best performance we’ve seen.”
Rylander said she particularly enjoyed the interpretation of mischievous Puck and dim-witted Nick Bottom, a member of a traveling performance troupe who is turned into half a donkey by Puck.
Indeed, Puck and Bottom steal the show. Between Puck’s excitable, childish trickery that ultimately drives the story and Bottom’s arrogance that prevents him from realizing he has been duped, no scene shines more than when they are involved.
Puck and Bottom also exemplify Pappas’ directing skill. As Puck rolls on the floor in glee at his mischief and Bottom wheezes and neighs as he laughs, Pappas’ version of Shakespeare’s characters are given life and personality they lack in print.
Robert Lewis, a professor of a Shakespeare class at Point Park University, said there are elements in “Midsummer” that everyone can enjoy.
“What makes the play so entertaining [and] effective is how skillfully Shakespeare blends the traditions [of classic/Roman comedy and Romance comedy],” Lewis said in an e-mail interview. “As with the original presentation in the Globe Theater, there needed to be something to appeal to a really diverse audience. There is something to appeal to a lot of different people.”
Though the audience’s time in Athens is brief, it is full of a lifetime of magic and comedy. Because of Pappas’ skillful directing and the actors’ hysterical characters, one wishes such extraordinary events could happen in daily life.
Dorothy Aiken, a patron who enjoyed the “Midsummer” opening night production, exclaimed “we need more fairy dust in the world,” just after curtain call. If the result is anywhere near as magical as Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production, it could only have positive results.
*Published in 2010 Issue 4 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7417/midsummer-solution-to-midwinter-misery-1.1426300
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