Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: Albuquerque/Santa Fe

Regional Reviews

Folly and Fairies, Misguided Lovers and Magical Language
Duke City Repertory Theatre

Also see Rob's review of Cats


(clockwise, from upper left)Lauren Myers, Ezra Colón, Katie Becker Colón, Josh Heard
Trouble and delight has come to Athens. Theseus the Duke is about to marry Hippolyta the Amazon queen. They are visited by Egeus and his daughter Hermia. They come in tow with two young men, Demetrius and Lysander. Egeus has instructed Hermia to marry Demetrius, but she's in love with Lysander. The Duke commands her to follow Dad's wishes. Enter Helena who loves Demetrious. But of course, Demetrious loves Hermia. Hermia and Lysander run off to the woods, intending to reach a land where they can marry.

In the woods we meet a group of fairies and a group of actors planning a play for the Duke and Queen's wedding. The fun begins. The lovers get crossed by Puck's magic dust. Actor Nick Bottom ends up with a donkey's head. After trials and trouble, heartache and heavenly enchantment, the lovers are matched, Dad is happy, and the wedding play delivers its goofy brilliance.

Many believe that Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer Night's Dream as a breath cleanser after the heavier Romeo and Juliet. The light fare of A Midsummer Night's Dream is often considered the Bard's most delightful and magical romp. I wish this play had been my high school introduction to Shakespeare rather than the dreary Julius Caesar. No matter how many times I read or run into A Midsummer Night's Dream, it's fresh, and its charm is always intact.

I used the Duke City Repertory Theatre's (DCRT) production as an excuse to read the comedy again. As always, the language jumped off the page, shiny and surprising. The biggest surprise, however, is the beauty of DCRT's production. Using very simple staging and props (Charles Murdock Lucas), as well as modest costumes (Amelia Ampuero), director John Hardy has shot life into the language and story. There are twists and turns in the characters' conflicts and desires that can get lost in Shakespeare's subtleties. Hardy brings these right to the front, making the age-old emotions crisp and new—lovely and unexpected.

I watched audience reaction throughout the play. There was plenty of real laughter. Perfect. Hardy and his crew makes every single word, every single gesture, clear and understandable. Some of his choices are clever. He uses only seven actors to fill all 19 parts. The shifts from character to character are minimal costume adjustments, yet the essence of each character is so clear, there is not the slightest confusion, even when the actor's gender doesn't match the character's gender. Very good.

The cast is uniformly wonderful. The lack of standouts is a relief—if one or two actors dominated, it would tilt the production out of balance. Given the toned down scenery and costumes, and the high-level but even performances, the star of the production is Shakespeare's language and story. Thank you.

Amelia Ampuero handles the roles of Hippolyta, Peter Quince and Titania. Frank Taylor Green covers Theseus, Francis Flute and Oberon. Evening Star Barron plays Egeus and Puck. Lauren Myers takes on Hermia, Robin Starveling and Cobweb, while Josh Heard handles Demetrius, Tom Snout and Mustardseed. Ezra Colon plays Lysander and Nick Bottom, and Katie Becker Colon covers Helena, Snug the Joiner and Peaseblossom. All are wonderful.

All performances except for Sunday will be followed by a discussion with a local theater educator or professional. The group will be hitting the road with A Midsummer Night's Dream following the Cell Theatre run. DCRT plans to take the production to local schools and centers. The group is open to suggestions on where to visit. Email Katie at Katie@dukecityrep.com for more information.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, produced by the Duke City Repertory Theatre, is playing at the Cell Theatre at 700 1st. St. NW. Performances run Thursdays through Sundays through March 16. Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances open at 8:00 pm. Sunday performances are at 2:00 pm. Adult tickets are $20. Military and students, $12, children 5 - 17 are $5. For reservations, visit dukecityrep.com.


Photo: Rick Galli

--Rob Spiegel