[NEOPAL]Beacon Journal: "A Midsummer Night's Dream' offers a magical evening in Hudson"

Sun Mar 26 09:49:12 PST 2006

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Actors' Summit charms with cozy  Shakespeare 
`A Midsummer Night's Dream' offers a magical  evening in Hudson 
By Kerry  Clawson 
Beacon Journal staff  writer 
It's  delightful to have both fairies frolicking and lovers working out their 
tangled  web of relationships right in your lap at Actors' Summit in  Hudson. 
The theater's  production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is 
charming from start to  finish, thanks to an exceptional cast and the cozy setup of 
the small theater  itself, which makes the Bard's words more intimate than  
ever. 
Every seat's a  good seat for audience members sitting on any of three sides 
of Actors' Summit's  small, three-quarter thrust stage. Theatergoers don't 
miss one syllable of  Shakespeare's magical discourse, thanks to both that 
proximity and the fact that  the actors -- under Neil Thackaberry's direction -- 
really take their time with  Shakespeare's timeless language. 
They're not  rushing, yet the pacing's still fluid in this enchanting comedy, 
which features  a cast of 18. Actors' Summit has conserved by producing much 
smaller shows since  the fall in order to put ample resources into this major 
Shakespearean  production. It's wonderful that A Midsummer Night's Dream, a 
grant-supported  production, will be seen by 1,000 school children. 
Set in Athens,  Hermia loves Lysander and Lysander loves her, but Hermia's 
father Egeus says she  must marry Demetrius. The couple decide to elope into the 
woods, which represent  freedom, in order for Hermia to avoid either a death 
sentence or  nunhood. 
Titania and  Oberon, king and queen of the fairies, have their own love war 
going on within  the wood. With the help of Oberon's love potion and the 
mischievous sprite Puck,  all manner of things are set upside down among lovers. 
In the meantime, a  group of ridiculous tradesmen, who fancy themselves 
thespians, rehearse the play  Pyramus and Thisbe in an effort to impress Athenian 
Duke Theseus, who will wed  the conquered Hippolyta. 
Framing all of  this merriment and confusion is a wonderful set piece that 
co-artistic directors  Thackaberry and wife MaryJo Alexander call a ``fairy 
ring.'' The large ring is  raked upward, with characters flitting on, in and 
around  it. 
The green set  piece -- dappled with rose and white and trimmed with colorful 
flowers -- looks  simple, but it provides ample staging opportunities. 
Director Thackaberry, who  doubles as Oberon, has fairy actors hiding under it and 
others leaping, falling  and rolling off it. 
Speaking of  fairies, no one captures the bewitching spirit of this play more 
perfectly than  Sasha Thackaberry as the lively Puck. The professional dancer 
-- clad in a  snake-print stretch velvet and sparkly cap -- spins, leaps, 
crouches and darts  as the nimblest Puck I've ever seen. Both her dynamic 
movement and her spirited  acting make for a beautiful performance. 
Actors' Summit  newcomer Kathleen Cutter looks like a redheaded china doll as 
Hermia, whose  feminine sweetness is utterly disarming. As the lovelorn 
Helena, Alicia Kahn  serves as an amusing foil to the much-sought-after Hermia. 
They're  beautifully clothed in what costume designer MaryJo Alexander calls 
``fantasy  Elizabethan'' creations, a sumptuous blend of gowns, robes and 
accoutrements  with greens, roses, blues and maroons as the dominant colors. 
Alexander also  adds sparkle to the girl fairies' diaphanous wings. 
Noah Varness and  Andrew Narten are believable as the competitive Demetrius 
and Lysander, and  Thackaberry and Sally Groth lend a regal presence as 
Theseus/Oberon and  Hippolyta/Titania. 
The laboring  mechanicals, led by Peter Voinovich as Bottom, provide plenty 
of laughs in their  bumbling roles. Thackaberry's inventive staging has Bob 
Parenti as Quince  sitting in the middle of the fairy ring, coaching the players 
through their  silly performance. Thackaberry also has Devon Stanley as the 
lion roaring  multiple times, since his courtly audience likes it so  much. 
Voinovoich takes  the cake as Bottom, who not only is transformed into an ass 
while under a magic  spell, but also is absurdly melodramatic as Pyramus in 
this comedy's play within  a play. Audiences will thoroughly enjoy seeing this 
large actor fling himself  all over the fairy ring and roll down it crazily in 
a death scene that seems as  if it will never end. 

____________________________________

Theater critic  Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or by e-mail at 
_kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com_ (mailto:kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com) .  

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<SPAN=20
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face=3DGeorgia>Actors' Summit charms with cozy=20
Shakespeare<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">`A Midsummer Night's Dream' offers a ma=
gical=20
evening in Hudson<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">By Kerry=20
Clawson<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Beacon Journal staff=20
writer<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">It's=20
delightful to have both fairies frolicking and lovers working out their tang=
led=20
web of relationships right in your lap at Actors' Summit in=20
Hudson.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The theater'=
s=20
production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is charming from start=
 to=20
finish, thanks to an exceptional cast and the cozy setup of the small theate=
r=20
itself, which makes the Bard's words more intimate than=20
ever.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Every seat's=
 a=20
good seat for audience members sitting on any of three sides of Actors' Summ=
it's=20
small, three-quarter thrust stage. Theatergoers don't miss one syllable of=20
Shakespeare's magical discourse, thanks to both that proximity and the fact=20=
that=20
the actors -- under Neil Thackaberry's direction -- really take their time w=
ith=20
Shakespeare's timeless language.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">They're not=20
rushing, yet the pacing's still fluid in this enchanting comedy, which featu=
res=20
a cast of 18. Actors' Summit has conserved by producing much smaller shows s=
ince=20
the fall in order to put ample resources into this major Shakespearean=20
production. It's wonderful that A Midsummer Night's Dream, a grant-supported=
=20
production, will be seen by 1,000 school children.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Set in Athen=
s,=20
Hermia loves Lysander and Lysander loves her, but Hermia's father Egeus says=
 she=20
must marry Demetrius. The couple decide to elope into the woods, which repre=
sent=20
freedom, in order for Hermia to avoid either a death sentence or=20
nunhood.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Titania and=20
Oberon, king and queen of the fairies, have their own love war going on with=
in=20
the wood. With the help of Oberon's love potion and the mischievous sprite P=
uck,=20
all manner of things are set upside down among lovers.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In the meant=
ime, a=20
group of ridiculous tradesmen, who fancy themselves thespians, rehearse the=20=
play=20
Pyramus and Thisbe in an effort to impress Athenian Duke Theseus, who will w=
ed=20
the conquered Hippolyta.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Framing all=20=
of=20
this merriment and confusion is a wonderful set piece that co-artistic direc=
tors=20
Thackaberry and wife MaryJo Alexander call a ``fairy ring.'' The large ring=20=
is=20
raked upward, with characters flitting on, in and around=20
it.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The green se=
t=20
piece -- dappled with rose and white and trimmed with colorful flowers -- lo=
oks=20
simple, but it provides ample staging opportunities. Director Thackaberry, w=
ho=20
doubles as Oberon, has fairy actors hiding under it and others leaping, fall=
ing=20
and rolling off it.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Speaking of=20
fairies, no one captures the bewitching spirit of this play more perfectly t=
han=20
Sasha Thackaberry as the lively Puck. The professional dancer -- clad in a=20
snake-print stretch velvet and sparkly cap -- spins, leaps, crouches and dar=
ts=20
as the nimblest Puck I've ever seen. Both her dynamic movement and her spiri=
ted=20
acting make for a beautiful performance.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Actors' Summ=
it=20
newcomer Kathleen Cutter looks like a redheaded china doll as Hermia, whose=20
feminine sweetness is utterly disarming. As the lovelorn Helena, Alicia Kahn=
=20
serves as an amusing foil to the much-sought-after Hermia.<o:p></o:p>=

<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">They're=20
beautifully clothed in what costume designer MaryJo Alexander calls ``fantas=
y=20
Elizabethan'' creations, a sumptuous blend of gowns, robes and accoutrements=
=20
with greens, roses, blues and maroons as the dominant colors. Alexander also=
=20
adds sparkle to the girl fairies' diaphanous wings.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Noah Varness=
 and=20
Andrew Narten are believable as the competitive Demetrius and Lysander, and=20
Thackaberry and Sally Groth lend a regal presence as Theseus/Oberon and=20
Hippolyta/Titania.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The laboring=
=20
mechanicals, led by Peter Voinovich as Bottom, provide plenty of laughs in t=
heir=20
bumbling roles. Thackaberry's inventive staging has Bob Parenti as Quince=20
sitting in the middle of the fairy ring, coaching the players through their=20
silly performance. Thackaberry also has Devon Stanley as the lion roaring=20
multiple times, since his courtly audience likes it so=20
much.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Voinovoich t=
akes=20
the cake as Bottom, who not only is transformed into an ass while under a ma=
gic=20
spell, but also is absurdly melodramatic as Pyramus in this comedy's play wi=
thin=20
a play. Audiences will thoroughly enjoy seeing this large actor fling himsel=
f=20
all over the fairy ring and roll down it crazily in a death scene that seems=
 as=20
if it will never end.<o:p></o:p>
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<SPAN=20
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Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or by e-mail at <A=20
href=3D"mailto:kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com"><FONT=20
color=3D#000099>kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com</A>.<=
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