By Julie Halversen Tate
The Utah Children’s Theatre in Salt Lake City whisks its audience away to the bayou with its interpretation of Shakespeare’s classic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The play was first introduced by William Shakespeare around 1594 and intertwines several plots that connect around the wedding of Duke Theseus of Athens to Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. As the wedding approaches, we meet Hermia, who loves Lysander against her father’s wishes. Her father wants her to marry Demetrius, whom her friend Helena pines for unrequited. The tale weaves comically back and forth between the scenes of reality to forest scenes, where the King of the Forest and his mischievous sprite, Puck, play tricks upon the young couples as well as the Queen of the Fairies. The comedy that ensues has delighted audiences for hundreds of years, and this retelling of it is beautifully creative. I attended with my three daughters and two of my nephews, ranging in age from 5 to 10, to see how the “young audience” would respond, and the actors mesmerized all six of us for over two hours.
One of the joys of this show is how completely each cast member wraps up in their role. There are two settings: the upscale south and the nearby forest-like bayou, conceived by director Joanne M. Parker. The aristocratic cast includes Joe Holmgren (Theseus) and Moira Gray (Hippolyta), who play a perfectly rich, engaged couple who are obviously in charge of everything in their community but are still good-natured. The charming coupling of Sean Sweeney (Lysander) and Madeline Thatcher (Hermia) conjures up a southern romance of the early 20th century, complete with swooning, nuzzling, and silly, mushy lovey-dovey exchanges that keep us rooting for the success of their elopement and laughing at their romantic exchanges. Lexie Thomsen (Helena) has the audience in stitches every time she mourns her unrequited love for Tom Roche’s Demetrius, pouring her heart out while literally chasing him around the theater. Roche does a perfect job of dodging her advances until Puck’s spell lands upon him, then he does an aboutface and embraces her, finally convincing her of his sudden change of heart. Also of note is Melany Wilkins as Egea, Hermia’s mother, and even though Parker takes some creative license to make this a maternal not paternal character, Wilkins embraces the stern, stoic arrogance of Egea well enough to make everyone on stage afraid of her.
Upon entry to the forest/bayou, the play’s setting relates more closely to Shakespeare’s original setting. Bryson Dumas (Oberon) and Meighan Smith (Titania) deliver the lover’s feud with rich, Shakespearean insults that roll off their tongues with ease. Christopher Taylor’sPuck is as playful and boyishly mischievous as Shakespeare intends, and Taylor’s final soliloquy, after over two hours of heavy dialogue, keeps the audience hanging on his every word as he even reaches out to take the hand of a lucky patron in the center seat of the front row. The ensemble of fairies also add charm. Their vocals are lovely and haunting, and they add dimension to the forest/bayou beautifully.
The players who will perform at the Duke’s wedding show up as the “rednecks” of the swamp and include Nels Holmgren (Peter Quince), M. Brooke Wilkins (Tom Snout), Brinton S. Wilkins (Bottom/Pyramis), Grant Christopherson (Flute/Thisby), and Mitchell Schouten (Snug/Lion). This group of actors is likely the pinnacle of humor in the entire show, and their staging of Pyramis and Thisby is downright hysterical. Even the youngest members of the audience can understand the absurdness of the story thanks to their poignant acting. Brinton Wilkins deserves a particular shout-out for his portrayal of Bottom/Pyramis. His brilliant line delivery is worthy of Shakespeare’s highest praise. His spit even reaches the front row.
The costume design by Julie Anderson combines with the hair and makeup design by Meighan Smith to suitably outfit the southern upper class in classy suits, dresses, and heels and the bayou rednecks in their cutoff overalls, raggedy beat-up clothing, and bare feet. The fairies are ornately outfitted with costumes suitable for forest mischief. The addition of fairy lights to their costumes is a fun touch.
The stunning set/light design, by James B. Parker plays perfectly into the magic of the show. Parker includes ramps and steps and every level possible in order to maximize the space, even using the crawlspace under the stage for the entrance of fairies, allowing the actors to move freely by dancing and leaping and climbing and even sliding and somersaulting down ramps. With lighting by Emerson Mace and sound by Missy Stebbing, the entire set has an enveloping effect on its audience, immersing them in the forest.
Tackling any Shakespeare play is an ambitious undertaking, and doing it in a way that keeps young audiences entertained is an even loftier goal. The Utah Children’s Theatre has successfully put together a show worthy of its origin while remembering its target audience and has crafted a show that delights audiences of all ages. As Puck delivers his closing lines, dangling the thought that perhaps the audience has been dreaming, there is no doubt that what has been “dreamt” has been magical, charming, and captivating for the youngest to the oldest spectator. This wonderful show runs through the end of September, so bring your kids and have a magical experience of your own!
Utah Children’s Theatre Presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare.
Utah Children’s Theatre, 3605 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT, 84115
August 24 – September 28, 2019, Saturdays ONLY, 10:30 AM
Tickets: $20.00, ages 5+
Contact: boxoffice@uctheatre.org, 801-532-6000
Utah Children’s Theatre Website
Utah Children’s Theatre Facebook Page
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Facebook Event
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