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Thursday, February 16, 2012

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater by Pam Powell

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Directed by Gary Griffin

It was opening night of Chicago Shakespeare Theater's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.  A pre-production reception was in full swing when I arrived, complete with wine and other beverages.  Men and women were dressed to the nines which gave Chicago the feel of Broadway in New York on an opening night!  This excitement was an omen for the evening to come.

Sigmund Freud
Seated in the Dress Circle, center stage, I had a perfect view of the stage, although I don't think there is a bad seat in this intimate theater.  The lights dimmed and an old phonograph began to play with a "man" standing behind it.  Instructions on proper theater etiquette followed and the "man" turned out to be none other than "Sigmund Freud."  Freud's appearance was apt as he was the master of dream interpretation and this was, after all, a dream set in the midsummer at night.  Freud introduced what was to come and then the stage quickly became a play within a play complete with music and singing in four part harmony...or was it five part harmony?  This was already a completely different interpretation of Shakespeare's play than I had ever seen.  I was captivated!  

The stage and set design were quite simple yet looked very elaborate.  The background and lighting with creative costuming set each scene perfectly.  The lighted backgrounds were ever changing yet never distracting but rather complementary to the mood or the setting.  The costumes that, to me, were most intriguing were the fairies as they donned striped pajamas complete with appropriate headdress to fit their names.  

Tim Kazurinsky and Levenix Riddle
Now Shakespeare can be rather daunting when you read it.  I will admit that I still struggle with properly interpreting his work and to me it is work to read it.  I have seen many productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and this was by far the best interpretation and performance I have ever seen.  As I stated, Shakespeare can be cloudy, but the CST broke through any fog and delivered a crisp and clear story.  The cadence of the dialogue was set perfectly so that even using Shakespeare's speech, you understood everything without question.  The phrasing used and expressions made along with total body language enabled everyone to follow along without a struggle.  And it was FUNNY!  Laugh out loud funny!  The actors delivered their lines in a way that Shakespeare would have been proud as he was a very funny writer!  Too many productions miss the mark on this, but not CST!  I think it helps to have such a talented cast  as Ron Orbach who seems larger than life and Tim Kazurinsky from Saturday Night Live and Chicago's recently premiered movie The Return of Joe Rich.  In addition, Timothy Edward Kane was deft at using non-verbal language and expressions to evoke riotous laughter from the audience.  Interestingly, it wasn't till the end of the play that I realized that this actor had two roles...two very different roles!  He succeeded in making me think he was two different people!

I can't tell you when I enjoyed a play more with it's great story, wonderful acting, and comedic value.  A Midsummer Night's Dream at CST pulled me completely into the play and the time washed away without me realizing it.  A Midsummer Night's Dream would be a perfect evening out and you won't be disappointed!  Shakespeare remains current and amazing because of the quality productions at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.  A Midsummer Night's Dream plays through April 8, 2012 and you can get tickets and more information at their website at www.chicagoshakes.com/dream.  Photos by Liz Lauren and courtesy of CST.

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