It's always pleasing to see a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, for it always reminds me of the magic and splendor of the theatre. To my mind, no play better explores magic in all its wonder than Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy, which Tuckaberry Productions has revived at the quaint Impact Theatre in Brooklyn.
The revival, billed as a family-friendly adaptation set in a high school, opened this past weekend and is directed by Michael Hagins, who is no stranger to helming the works of Shakespeare. Hagins, who also did the adaptation, gives us a well-intentioned, well-paced, and overall incredibly fun production, thanks largely to spirited performances from a strong ensemble.
It's graduation day at Athena High, where Principal Theseus (Jonathan Craig) prepares for his marriage to a woman who seems not entirely sure she wants to marry him. It's also a tense day for four high school seniors, all busy sorting out their romantic entanglements while engulfed in typical struggles with parents and teachers. Hermia (Rebecca Overholt) and Lysander (Joe Kurtz) love each other, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius (Ziad Ghanem). Demetrius loves Hermia, but is loved by her friend Helena (Brandi Rhome). When Hermia and Lysander run off together, Helena tells Demetrius, and he chases after them, with Helena chasing him.
As the four lovers wander in an enchanted forest, Titania, the Fairy Queen (Sarah Amandes) and Oberon, the King (Matt Bernhard) argue over custody of a changeling child.
Less a subplot than a brilliant satirical device, the Athenian Drama Club, led by Bottom (Lawrence Lesher) and his foolhardy band of "rude mechanicals," stumble into the main doings when they go into the same enchanted woods to rehearse a play very loosely based on the myth of Pyramus and Thisbe.
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