It might have seemed tedious as required reading in high school, but the MSU Department of Theatre captures the true comedy in William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The play, after all, is meant to be entertainment, impressing audiences with its themes of ardent young love, undermining parental authority and pompous attention-grabbing.
The Shakespearean text flourishes under the capable hands of director Marcus Olson, bringing the centuries-old script to vibrant life in Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre.
Not only is the show full of an almost frenetic energy, “Midsummer” is a visual feast thanks to a masterful set design by the department’s newest faculty member, Assistant Professor Kirk Domer, and brilliantly colorful costumes by Professor Gretel Geist. With sweeping lines and tie-dye, the set and costumes combine to provide a perfect backdrop for Shakespeare’s befuddled mortals and sly fairies.
The cast is led by theater sophomore Patrick Hickey, who plays the role of Puck with versatile agility. Hickey darts about the stage so quickly and changes direction so abruptly, it is not hard to see how he sprained his hip when the play was in rehearsals.
The other standout is theater senior Jason Wagner as Nick Bottom, the overzealous self-appointed leader of the bumbling players (or “rude mechanicals,” as they are referred to in the text). As Nick, Wagner uses just enough bravado and energy - combined with impeccable comic timing - to make the character instantly popular with the audience. Even with the head of a donkey covering his face, his expressions are obvious in his tone of voice and exaggerated actions.
For the most part, the performers understand Shakespeare’s language and convey its meanings to the audience. The actors pace their speeches carefully, only now and then tripping over a word or racing through a tricky metaphor.
The two sets of lovers are aptly fitted to their roles, with Sarah Habel and Kelly Curtis as the innocent Hermia and Lysander and Rachel Roberts and Nathaniel Nose as relentless Helena and fickle Demetrius. Nose, a theater sophomore, and Curtis, a theater freshman, are constantly fighting for the women’s attention.
Roberts, a theater graduate student, is appropriately desperate, and Habel, a theater junior, seems made for her role. One of the best moments in the play comes when the two nearly come to blows over the bewitched men.
The fairies are a decided highlight of the show, with their bright costumes and lithe movements. They creep and dance about the stage, surrounding Titania (Christiane Morel) and Oberon (Graham Irwin) and act as their emissaries. They add a magical feel to the play. A short lullaby in Act I, sung by Moth (Megan Milota) and Mustardseed (Jozefa Chmielewski), is a sweet surprise.
Altogether, this is a performance not to be missed. This colorful, energetic interpretation provides both first-time theater-goers and Shakespearean veterans a glance at the reasons the bard’s many works endure more than 300 years after their debut.
