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BY LIANA KATZ

In print | November 15, 2007

As fairies cavort and contort their bodies against the backdrop of a miniature Moroccan city, it becomes clear that Drama Board’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” has stepped outside the bounds of tradition. Opening this Friday at 7 p.m. on the LPAC Mainstage, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” mingles tragedy and comedy to create a truly unique rendition of a Shakespearian classic.

Directed by Anne Coleman ‘09 and produced by Alison Flamm ’09, "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" weaves together three different stories, intertwining various narratives and characters. Although the production remains largely faithful to the original text, the play has been refocused in order to highlight themes that Coleman feels have been previously ignored.

According to Coleman, audiences come to productions of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” expecting a comic “romp” with a guaranteed happy ending. This leads to a lack of investment in the characters and, ultimately, dissatisfaction. Coleman said she has “raised the play’s stakes,” creating a world in which the audience genuinely feels both the sadness and joy of the characters.

To this end, the play has been “re-located” to Morocco, where, according to Coleman, “the patriarchy goes unquestioned, social mobility is limited and magic is an element of the cultural heritage.” Coleman chose this setting not as “a commentary on [the] state [Morocco], but rather because it presents the same set of stakes and expectations that Shakespeare establishes in ‘Midsummer.’” The world of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is one in which escape from the domineering patriarchy is both necessary and dangerous.

Despite the emphasis on darker themes, the play remains very much a comedy. “This is a fun, joyful play, [which] takes pleasure in life and self-discovery,” Coleman said. Judy Browngoehl ’09, who plays Hermia, added that the play is filled with “a lot of physical action” in addition to a focus on the text itself. According to Browngoehl, it is this balance that brings the show to life.

Coleman has also sought to break down the Shakespearian language barrier. “Shakespeare should not be some elevated [art] form,” Coleman said. The actors have “poured their hearts and souls into the embodiment of their roles,” rendering the potentially difficult language a non-issue but without altering the dialogue. Such ease with the text makes the play accessible to the audience, placing the characters in a “believable context.”

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is not only thematically adventurous. Through an extensive set and elaborate lighting, the production fully utilizes the expansive LPAC Mainstage. According to Flamm, the production “tries to do things that Swarthmore hasn’t done or seen before.” For example, the thrust stage, which borders on the audience seating, has not been recently used on the Mainstage. According to Flamm ’09, the thrust stage creates a stronger “connection between the audience and actors.”

Putting together the show has been challenging in many ways. According to stage manager Farah Hussain ’09, one of the largest problems has been getting “sizeable numbers of Swarthmore students” into the same room at the same time for rehearsals. Will Treece ’11, who plays Flute and Cobweb, admitted that the production has been “a bigger time commitment” than expected with intensive character work.

Other cast members pointed out the difficulties of understanding their characters. For actors portraying fairies, attempting to move in what Treece described as “the least human way possible” has been both fun and demanding. “It is hard to portray a supernatural spirit,” said Miriam Rich ’11, who plays both Starveling and a fairy. “There is a lot of physical exertion.”

Despite the challenges of putting on such a large-scale production, the process has been a great learning experience for both cast and crew. In her first play at college, Rich is appreciative of the opportunity to “dive head-first” into the world of Swarthmore theater. Theater veterans such as Brownghoel and Randall Johnston ’09, who plays Helena, appreciate the blend of actors of various experience levels. “We are all learning together,” Flamm said.

The tireless dedication of the cast and crew has created a singular production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that is not to be missed. Even if you have seen the play many times, heed Coleman’s suggestion and let her “make you love it more.”

Show times for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” are 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 18.

Editor’s Note: Liana Katz is involved with costume design, but it did not affect the production of this article.

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