Jordan Wright
February 2, 2016
Special to The Alexandria Times
l to r: Desmond Bing, Kim Wong, Betsy Mugavero, Adam Wesley Brown, Eric Hissom, Caroline Stefanie Clay -Photo by Teresa Wood
Aaron Posner’s brilliantly funny take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream now at the Folger is a delightfully frothy romp into Shakespeare’s dreamscape of sprites and lovers. His imaginative interpretation is filled with hilarious surprises. Beginning with the indelibly adorable Erin Weaver as Puck, who sets the tone for the high jinks to follow, this telling of the dream excursion Puck and her devious cohorts take us down a garden path speckled with modern technology, the occasional rap lyric, music looping by Puck’s forest calls and a vintage microphone for announcing the action.
But all is not shape-shifted into the modern age. There is still the play-within-a-play of Pyramus and Thisbe put on by Peter Quince (Richard Ruiz), a bumbling impresario and his eclectic band of school girls in uniforms and headphones to entertain the royal couple. And still Hippolyta as African queen, played by Caroline Stephanie Clay who doubles as Titania. Her husband Theseus joins her in a slick tan suit as the Duke of Athens played by Eric Hissom doing double duty in the role of the fairy king, Oberon. Reality as fantasy in a switcheroo that delivers all the hilarity The Bard intended.
Puck (Erin Weaver, left) looks upon the newly transformed Bottom (Holly Twyford) with impish delight – Photo by Teresa Wood
As you’ll recall Hermia (Betsy Mugavero) and Lysander (Adam Wesley Brown) are madly in love while Helena (Kim Wong) pines for Demetrius (Desmond Bing) who spurns her amorous attentions. When Oberon and Puck get up to magic and mischief by drugging the lovers with a love potion concocted of flower juice, here delivered by an eyedropper, all hell ensues as the four confuse their intendeds with the others’ lovers and the lusty Titania snuggles up with Bottom.
Holly Twyford plays Bottom who Puck turns into an ass adored by the love drug-smitten Titania. Costume Designer Devon Painter interprets the beast with furry platform hooves and a feathery confection of donkey ears and Twyford plays it to the hilt with comedic timing and buck-toothed braying.
Scenic Designer Paige Hathaway puts the performers on a simple stage of treehouse and platforms lit by fairy lights and a cut-out crescent moon, while Choreographer Erika Chong Shuch softens the falls and fight scenes with a cluster of large blue pillows throwing in a pas de deux by tango between Hermia and Lysander and a conga line for the lovers. Original Music by Andre Pluess has Lysander serenading Hermia on ukulele.
l to r: Megan Graves, Desmond Bing, Erin Weaver (front), Eric Hissom, Dani Stoller, and Justina Adorno – Photo by Teresa Wood
There is some nifty scene stealing by the Jamaican-accented and ‘voguing’ skills of Monique Robinson as Snout and the hilarious whispery delivery of the ingénue schoolgirl Megan Graves as both Snug and Philostrate, but look for Weaver and Twyford to dominate this brilliant all-star cast.
Highly recommended.
Through March 6th at the Folger Theatre at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003. For tickets and information call 202 544-7077 or visit www.Folger.edu/theatre.