ESU Theatre Department Presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream, April 22-26

The stage of the Smith-McFarland Theater will be transformed into a magical dreamscape as the East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania theatre department presents William Shakespeare’s most popular comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream from April 22 to April 26.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a tale of star-crossed lovers, meddling fairies, royal engagements and a travelling troupe of amateur actors.  This side-splitting, hilarious romp has love on the loose in a magical world presided over by the quarrelling Oberon, King of the Fairies, his powerful Queen Titania, and their mischievous servant Puck , according to Stephanie Daventry French, director and professor of theatre.

French describes the production as “playful, funny and highly physical” with many popular ‘world beat’ styles of song and dance woven together to create an atmospheric, contemporary production.

“The 24 cast members in the production will all have their moments to shine, and each group within the play will captivate you with their own brand of crazy antics,” she said.

Three students in the cast, Michael Lloret, a senior theatre major from Shawnee on Delaware, Pa., Asia Burnett, a sophomore theatre major from Philadelphia, Pa.,  and Jamil Joseph, a junior theatre major from Bushkill, Pa., worked with French to create the sound design for the production.

“Each of us represents a different aspect of the play—the lovers, the amateur actors, and the fairies,” Lloret said. “We take inspiration from our group and then collaborate to fit it together.”

“Professor French wanted authentic sounds that would create the feel of a magical rainforest, like the Amazon,” said Burnett. “We tried to pick elements that would reflect that and move the scene along.”

“We also make music by using our hands, feet and voices,” Joseph said. “As an actor, sound is important to help convey the mood and feeling of a scene.”

“The sets and costumes will present metaphors for a world that has been turned upside down and is restoring its balance,” said Yoshinori Tanokura associate professor of theatre, who is designing those elements.

English faculty members Leigh Smith, Ph.D., associate professor, and Holly Wells, Ph.D., assistant professor, provided key research information to the cast and crew during the initial rehearsals of the play.

While conducting research on the  language of the play, Hunter Fogel, a senior English major from East Stroudsburg, Pa., “dared the castto embrace the language and world of Shakespeare, who is more than four hundred years old and who appears as worlds apart.”

Coordinating with Earth Day celebrations during the week of the production, students in the art + design Department’s 3-D Design course, taught by Darlene Farris-LaBar, associate professor of art + design , will  create a sculptural installation in front of the Fine and Performing Arts Center inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  The installation, made from recycled materials, will resemble a magical forest at night as imagined in the play. The students also designed and installed the current window display at Liztech Gallery.

Curtain times for A Midsummer Night’s Dream are 7:30 p.m. April 22-25, and 2 p.m. April 26.  All performances are in the Smith-McFarland Theatre of the university’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, Normal and Marguerite streets, East Stroudsburg.

General admission for the production is $12; $10 for senior citizens, faculty and staff with ID; $7 for students with ID; and $5 for youth.  This play is recommended for age 8 and above.

Tickets may be purchased in advance with a credit card at esu.edu/theatretickets.  Remaining seats will be available at the box office beginning one hour before each performance.  Only cash and checks are accepted at the box office.

For box office reservations or more information about the production, please email esuarts@esu.edu or call 570-422-3483, x.4.

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