'Midsummer Night's Dream': South Coast Rep's New Sparkle Pony

Seriously, SCR's "Midsummer Night's Dream" really rocks.  Literally. 

South Coast Repertory's newest offering, "Midsummer Night's Dream," under the masterful direction of Mark Rucker, both dazzles the eye and grabs you by the heart, spiriting the audience on a whirlwind tour of fantasy and festivities which never once fails to entertain from start to finish.  I can promise, like any great party, you'll never want this show to end.

This show has truly become my new sparkle pony.  It's pure magic from the moment the lights go up, I mean, pop up. 

This is a show that immediately grabs the audience and transports them far away, somewhere magical where everyone's interesting, they all do funny things, the music just gets better and better and absolutely no pharmacueticals were involved!

What else can you say that about?  It's like a long rave at Coachella but, one where you actually care about who's dancing along side you.

It's truly a dream to remember.  From the cartwheels and forward-flipping fairies, to the wildly hip costumes, to the make-up and lighting -- a real tour de force of production and design.


Just for the record, regarding this production we are talking about some serious eye candy, here.  Not that matters, right?  And I haven't even gotten to the acting, yet.  (But, I will.)

And there was also some really wonderful, hip, original music in the show (No, it's not a musical version of the play, but it has a lot of cool music in it.) which succeeds to please on almost every level.

So, look, I don't care if you have to beg, borrow or steal, but if you do not go see SCR's new, uber sexy, incredibly funny, super-freaky, very hot production of "Midsummer  Night's Dream," then, that's your choice.  However, then you're never allowed to complain about theater being boring ever again.  I mean, ever.

The director of "Midsummer Night's Dream," Rucker, intuitively gets that people these days have the attention span of gnats (cyber gnats), thanks to the advent of the internet, Facebook (Who, me?! -- No!) and that in this particular modern age of 2011 some of the longer plot intricacies of Shakespearian plays may, frankly, be a bit complicated for most of today's audiences, even those sophisticated enough to hold tickets to South Coast Repertory.  However, Rucker's SCR production of "Midsummer Night's Dream" is everything and a bag of chips.  It's a gorgeous, creative romp through a fantasy forest alive with fairies with very human feelings, and humans who feel rather touched by fantasy.  It is at turns both hilarious and unexpectedly tender, but always, always most interesting!

Going into the play, I knew it could be something of a gamble taking my daughter, who is age fourteen, to see Shakespeare for the very first time, but I also thought it might provide me with an interesting perspective to write about, as well.  

I did have some concerns that while it was a comedy it might also be too much plot delivered in too Elizabethan a dialogue for this American fourteen year old to absorb.  However, I was delightfully wrong. She didn't just love it, she wanted to go again, and next time bring all her friends.


Her Facebook post read:  


"Lingerie dances, men in tights, disco balls and everything I never thought I would see in Shakespeare. SCR's A Midsummer Night's Dream" was AMAZING!"  


(Her words. Not mine.)

The costumes, by Nephelie Andonyadis, were fascinating and beautiful.  To be quite honest, it's difficult to find the enough superlatives to describe the beauty and/or imagination of her costume designs for this "Midsummer."

The truth is, I wanted to snag Mustard Seed's kilt right off his lithe little body, in fact, I'll take one of everything designed for the cast in every color, thank you!   I truly coveted each and every design morsel of this show.  My heart did go out to the  cast, however, knowing that this was a Shakespeare play requiring them to do some serious abs work in order to wear these costumes.  Worth it, though.  Everyone looked fabulous.  

I'll bet Andonyadis had every window dresser at South Coast Plaza taking copious notes for their next assignment at every store from Barney's to Prada.  There isn't a fashion fan alive who wouldn't drool over the creative sparkle and whimsey in Andonyadis's designs.  From the Talbot's tailoring of Hermia's dress to the wild deconstruction of the fairyland outfits, to the grandeur of Titania's show-stopping dresses.

Also, Andonyadis wittily designed all the lover's attire to "reveal" more about the characters than they know. This occurs both figuratively and through the costume design, literally.  Very funny stuff.

In fact, I rather think everyone in the cast should write a "Thank You" letter to Ms. Andonyadis for giving them such stunning attire.  Seriously, she turned everyone on that stage into walking eye candy. 

When we first meet the main characters we are wowed by the chic fashion-forward costumes, on the main characters in the play, however, later when "introduced" to this production's Fairyland, we see the costumes become as wild and urban-tribal as any Coachella rave, or night at Burning Man.  

Every character's costumes was a brilliant extensions of Rucker's contemporary re-telling of this tale.  Again, I assure you, no audience member will be bored watching this show. 

I think it's obvious I recommend seeing this show based on the production values alone, but I can vouch that even the acting is wonderful. 

This show is an acting standout on two levels:  First of all, it's a remarkable ensemble-tour de force.  From those forward-flipping fairies and their sexy dance numbers, like "Lullaby"  at the end of the first half, but the entire show is really one, long seamless a team effort.

I mean, I thought the ensemble work earlier this season in SCR's "Circle Mirror Transformations," was terrific, too, but what's astonishing is that this cast is far larger, and yet it still works as a flawless  ensemble piece.  Mark Rucker's crisp direction keeps the pace moving like clockwork, and on top of that I also sense the performers were really listening to each other, and enjoying each other's work, which, frankly, to an audience is gold.  In fact, in a show as fast, big, bright and dazzling as this "Midsummer Night's Dream," you can't pull off this magic without working as a strong ensemble, which it does like its own spectacular microorganism.


And then there are the individual roles in the play:  Each of them a gem of a performance.  I applaud casting Patrick Kerr's as the wonderfully clueless Bottom.  I also have to give comic kudos to Michael Manuel for his hilarious portrayal of Flute, in the play within the play.  (He's very, very funny.)

Rob Campbell's Puck, is a kick-ass, rock 'n roll imagining of Puck, both fascinating and nuanced.  He brings an unexpected gravity to this characterization, infusing his performance with moments suggestive of everything from the Artful Dodger to the Emcee from Cabaret, with maybe a little Clockwork Orange mixed in as well.  

I got the whole androgynous vibe suggested by Andonyadis dressing Puck in a cool bowler hat with a skirt made of men's ties, including having one combat boot on; one woman's shoe on.  This was gender-bending Puck, with a distinctly urban-tribal feel.  But, since this was my daughter's first time seeing a guy in heels, with tats on his body, dancing in a naughty way under a disco ball, I was interested in what she thought about it all.  As it turned out,  she loved it.  She wants to go back.  Like, tonight, please?  (Uh, oh?)

All in all,  Campbell's artful portrayal of Puck, is a tough-as-nails fairy who just can't quite manage to get it right, because, he's not human enough to be that smart. Or too smart to be that human, either way, he's having way too much fun being a fairy, anyway.  

One note that did strike my daughter as unusual, was the power shift every time Puck was on stage with Oberon.  While I think the cast did a fine job of clearly illustrating their power structure between the characters, to my fourteen year old, the relationship didn't always make sense.

For instance, as the lights came up for intermission she asked:

"Mom, was Shakespeare always this sexual?"

I said, "Maybe not in quite the same way as this show.  But, yes, Shakespeare really understood people and he understood the 'whole sex thing' very well."

Then, she said, "Wow.  Shakespeare was really cool."

She then offered, "Sometimes the relationship between Oberon and Puck really creeped me out.  It seemed like Puck was a male prostitute and that Oberon was a pimp.  Was that on purpose?"  

At that point I admitted I really didn't know, but, I noted these were all very good observations and interesting to ponder.   (Hm.  Maybe Puck really is Oberon's bitch.)

Then she shrugged off that moment, grinned and chirped, "I'm so glad I saw this!  Shakespeare's cool.  How'd he write something that feels so much like real life, right now?" 

I told her he was just that good.  


She said, "This may be the coolest thing I have ever seen!"

She's fourteen and she was talking about Shakespeare.   

Parents:  This is a ticket you may want to buy for you and your kids.  It sure worked for me.

Back to the show:

Susannah Shulman's portrayal of both Hyppolyta and Titania was simply flawless.  She has impeccable comic timing and moves deftly between humor to tenderness all the while keeping the most astonishing clothes on her body!  

We both gaped at her iconic beauty one minute, then choked up during her (Titania's) famous monologue the next.  Watching her explain to Oberon why she has the love she does for her current boy-toy, more specifically, for his mother, brought tears to both our eyes.  

Elijah Alexander's equally powerful Theseus/Oberon was also a joy to behold. Alexander is another wonderful classical actor who is easily playful and comic one minute, masterful and grand the next.  In fact, there's a power house of electricity when Titania and Oberon are on stage.  Even the air seemed to crackle.

The four lovers were all expertly acted as well.  

Hermia's Kathleen Early was suitably prim and proper at first, in what appeared at first to be a Talbot's cocktail dress, while later on coming completely and wonderfully undone, stumbling about in just her slip with her wild hair, looking like an escapee from "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof."  Early does a very nice job working with a role which can often (in less talented hands) become a bit boring and two dimensional.  Her portrayal of Hermia was neither, being both nuanced and actually quite funny.

In fact, all four actors playing the lovers (Nick Gabriel, Toby Windham, Kathleen Early and Dana Green) do a terrific job of keeping what they are doing (their current relationship status) simple and clear, which in a play like this, is extremely important. 

I thought Dana Green's Helena was a real feat of comic talent.  Green's Helena is a terrific, meaty comedic part and she successfully pulls off the comedy of bemoaning her fate without turning off the audience, which, trust me is a challenge.

It's very difficult to deliver self-effacing line after line and not start to become a truly unlikable doofus, however Green's Helena is both charming and lovable.  She moves expertly through some tricky monologues, and, well, let's just say, Green's legs in her those fabulous stockings and heels sped her from gawky to gorgeous in no time.   (Again, she should write Andonyadis a "thank you" letter for that costume.)

Tobie Windham's Demetrius was a lovely, understated performance which grew throughout the play into a bubbling cauldron of excitement for his lady (All two of them!).   And we loved his little Cee-Lo moment when he repeats the word "Celestial!" with glee.

I was thrilled to see the wonderful Nick Gabriel had returned to SCR after his terrific performance in last season at South Coast Repertory in Ordinary Days.  I was not surprised by his ease with Shakespeare, given all his musical talent.  He brought an adorably sexy nerd to life with his Lysander.  He has a gift for precise physicality which is perfectly suited to comedy.  I was thrilled to see his work again and look forward to seeing more of him at SCR.


Both Green and Early were wonderful sparring with each other in their comedic scenes and they, along with the talents of Nick Gabriel and Tobie Windham, keep the action delightfully moving forward with laughter and surprise.  Great work from all four of them.

General comments:  Nobody had to fake an English accent to get across the power and elegance of Shakespeare, and everyone, I mean, everyone was heard, even to those of us sitting in the very back of the house. 

Now, I'm sorry, but I was so impressed by this show, that I want talk a bit more about the design and production elements of SCR's "Midsummer Night's Dream."


First of all most of the play was written to take place "in a wood."  Sounds easy enough, but Cameron Anderson's creative interpretation takes this concept one step further mixing both the literal and figurative in the setting of this scene.  I mean, Anderson sets the play in a piece of wood, in the woods, which is just the kind of thinking outside the box that makes me want to cheer.


The scenes in a wood featured a giant sized piece of wood ("In a piece of wood?" Who thinks of things like this?) which both Puck and the rest of the fairies scamper up and down, like rock climbers.

And I have to also give mention to Lap Chi Chu for the beautiful lighting which created a most lovely shifting moonlight as well as all the greens of a forest.  Later on through the giant knot in the wood, which is rolled away, the set reveals a wooden hole through which we then gaze at the stars, the moon, that stunning array of lights under which Titania appears.

When Titania steps into the circular opening, surrounded by a lacy halo of industrial lights, it was one of those theatrical moments you want to treasure and hold on to forever.  Beholding Susannah Schulman in all her goddess-like Titania glory wearing that stunning dress was worth the price of the ticket alone.  To quote the fourteen year old sitting next to me (as well as my own inner fourteen year old) "Oh, my God!  That is sooooo cool!"

Even the floor of the set of the "wood" was a feat of contemporary imagination which looked like it was inspired by a David Hockney collage.

What the design of the floor of the stage suggested to me, was that it was like looking out of an airplane window from a dizzying height, where the land below has beome a contemporary patchwork of crop circles and little square fields and forests.  I can't say for certain this is precisely what Anderson had in mind, but, hey, it worked for me.  And it was such a useful concept, because when the actors suddenly required, say, a stump to sit upon, they would tap the ground and up would pop a piece of scenery as if out of thin forest air.  I thought it a simply brilliant imagining of a forest floor, both fantastical, yet a highly practical.

I'm sorry, but it blew me away how both figuratively and literally the production team set this show.  From the beginning when the huge white scrim swirled away down a hole in the center of the stage, like water going down a drain to reveal one amazing, fantastical set after another.  The entire journey was simply breathtaking.


I can vouch this is a Shakespeare you won't soon forget.  (Oh, and the cast is smokin' hot.  Wait, did I say that, yet?  I mean, Hot-Hot-Hot.)  

Did this review get your attention, yet?  Good.  Then buy your SCR "Midsummer" tickets here.

Oh, in case it hasn't occurred to you, given that this is an uber sexy play, it happens to also be the perfect show for "date night." This may come in handy for planning your Valentine's Day.  I'm just saying, especially since "Midsummer" does happen to be running now through February 20th.

However, it's also a great experience to share with anyone with a playful heart and mind which meant, in my case, the perfect play to share with my daughter. 

A Midsummer Night's Dream

by William Shakespeare

directed by Mark Rucker

January 21 - February 20, 2011
SEGERSTROM STAGE

Box Office Phone: (714) 708-5555
South Coast Repertory
655 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626