[NEOPAL]Review: MIDSUMMER "Romp" at Actors' Summit

Fri Mar 31 15:47:21 PST 2006

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=20
=E2=80=98Midsummer Night=E2=80=99s=E2=80=99 pleasant romp  at Actors=E2=80=
=99 Summit
By David Ritchey =20
HUDSON =E2=80=94 William  Shakespeare (1565-1616) could make an audience lau=
gh. More=20
than 400 years after  he wrote =E2=80=9CA Midsummer Night=E2=80=99s Dream,=
=E2=80=9D the play can=20
still hold an audience=E2=80=99s  interest and make them laugh. =20
Actors=E2=80=99 Summit  Theater has brought this comedy to the stage in a so=
lid, yet=20
humorous,  production. Much about this production is tied to the Elizabethan=
=20
age and  Shakespeare=E2=80=99s Globe Theater. This is a refreshing change fr=
om the=20
current fad of  modern or semi-modern settings for Shakespeare. =20
In the Actors=E2=80=99  Summit Theater, the audience sits on three sides of=20=
the=20
playing area. This is  authentic. But for this show, the set is a classic ci=
rcle,=20
reminiscent of the  Globe=E2=80=99s playing area. This circle is tilted towa=
rd the=20
audience, and the center  of the circle is filled with flowers and other pla=
nts=20
one might find growing in  a forest. =20
Shakespeare set =E2=80=9CA  Midsummer Night=E2=80=99s Dream=E2=80=9D in Gree=
ce. However, he never=20
visited Greece and didn=E2=80=99t  have picture books to give him a view of=20=
the country.=20
So, despite what is  printed in the script and various program notes =E2=80=
=94 think=20
England. Shakespeare  wrote about the world he knew =E2=80=94 that narrow co=
rridor=20
between Stratford-on-Avon  and London. =20
Shakespeare surely  saw the fields of yellow flowers and the streams cutting=
=20
across the fields.  Occasionally on this road, one will see a castle nestled=
=20
in a clump of trees.  This is the setting for =E2=80=9CA Midsummer Night=E2=
=80=99s Dream.=E2=80=9D=20
The plot includes  royalty, fairies and rustics (low characters). This is a=20
wonderful mixture that  guarantees confusion and laughter. The plot is easie=
r=20
to follow on the stage  than when it is read. Lysander loves Hermia and Herm=
ia=20
loves Lysander. Helena  Loves Demetrius; Demetrius used to love Helena but n=
ow=20
loves Hermia. This  soap-opera style love triangle =E2=80=94 or is it a squa=
re? =E2=80=94=20
becomes more confused when  Hermia=E2=80=99s father demands she marry Demetr=
ius. At this=20
point the fairies get into  the action and place a love potion in the eyes o=
f=20
some of the characters =E2=80=94 when  they awake, they will love the first=20=
person=20
they see. Of course, the fairies get  confused as they go about their=20
matchmaking and make falling in love even more humorous  than it usually is.=
 =20
Puck, a fairy,  places a spell on Bottom and places a donkey=E2=80=99s head=20=
on the=20
rustic. Titania,  queen of the fairies, has been given the love potion and=20
awakes to fall in love  with Bottom and his donkey=E2=80=99s head. =20
But, as  Shakespeare wrote, all=E2=80=99s well that ends well. And the right=
 people=20
get together  and live happily until the curtain call. =20
However, in  preparation for the wedding party, the rustics write a play,=20
which is a parody  of the plays of Shakespeare=E2=80=99s day. The title of t=
heir=20
production is =E2=80=9CThe Most  Lamentable Comedy, and Most Cruel Death of=20=
Pyramus and Thisby.
=E2=80=9D The audience  follows the writing, rehearsal and, finally, the per=
formance=20
of this  play-within-a-play. And, what a merry company of actors brings this=
=20
show to  life. The mechanics are Quince (Bob Parenti), Snug (Devon Stanley),=
=20
Bottom  (Peter Voinovich), Flute (Aaron Coleman), Snout (Irving Korman) and=20
Starveling  (Scott Thomas). The story of =E2=80=9CPyramus and Thisbe=E2=80=
=9D is a classic love=20
story of  Shakespeare=E2=80=99s time. The couple fall in love but are kept a=
part by a=20
wall. When  they finally get together, Pyramus is dead, and when Thisbe=20
discovers her love  has died, she kills herself. (One might say this is the=20=
comic=20
version of =E2=80=9CRomeo  and Juliet.=E2=80=9D) =20
But no detail can  be omitted from this production. Korman as Snout plays th=
e=20
wall. On a rope  around his neck, he wears a stone wall that extends almost=20
to his feet. He  extends his arms so that the lovers can speak through a chi=
nk=20
in the wall, his  outstretched fingers. =20
Bottom explains to  the audience that he will not really die and then plays=20
the longest death scene  on record. Voinovich is a large man and, yet, he=20
falls, rolls down the walls of  the set and flops his body about the playing=
 area=20
until finally he seems to die.  Then he rises to explain that his soul has=20
flown to heaven as he flutters his  hands in a bird-like gesture. =20
He stopped the  show. Even the cast applauded his death scene. This scene is=
=20
so well-directed  and so well-played that audience members were talking abou=
t=20
the scene as they  left the theater. =20
Coleman plays  Thisby with a small, high-pitched voice, a long, white gown=20
that doesn=E2=80=99t quite  fit, a well-padded bra and a platinum wig that s=
eems to have=20
a mind of its own.  Coleman is the perfect foil for Voinovich. When the two=20
play their love scenes,  it=E2=80=99s low, low comedy at its best. =20
Shakespeare should  be this much fun. This show is a perfect introduction fo=
r=20
the young to the world  of Shakespeare. The production, under Neil Thackaber=
ry
=E2=80=99s direction, is  accessible to young audience members. In fact, bec=
ause of a=20
grant from the Ohio  Arts Council, Actors=E2=80=99 Summit will be able to pe=
rform=20
matinees for more than  1,000 students at special matinees. =20
For ticket  information, call (330) 342-0800. =20
David Ritchey has a  Ph.D. in communications and is a professor of=20
communications at The University  of Akron. He is a member of the American T=
heatre=20
Critics Association. =20

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<HTML xmlns:o =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><HEAD>
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<DIV>
<H2 style=3D"MARGIN: auto 0in"><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">=E2=80=98Midsummer Night=E2=
=80=99s=E2=80=99 pleasant romp=20
at Actors=E2=80=99 Summit<o:p></o:p></H2>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">By David Ritchey=20
<SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">HUDSON =E2=
=80=94 William=20
Shakespeare (1565-1616) could make an audience laugh. More than 400 years af=
ter=20
he wrote =E2=80=9CA Midsummer Night=E2=80=99s Dream,=E2=80=9D the play can s=
till hold an audience=E2=80=99s=20
interest and make them laugh. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Actors=E2=
=80=99 Summit=20
Theater has brought this comedy to the stage in a solid, yet humorous,=20
production. Much about this production is tied to the Elizabethan age and=20
Shakespeare=E2=80=99s Globe Theater. This is a refreshing change from the cu=
rrent fad of=20
modern or semi-modern settings for Shakespeare. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">In the Actor=
s=E2=80=99=20
Summit Theater, the audience sits on three sides of the playing area. This i=
s=20
authentic. But for this show, the set is a classic circle, reminiscent of th=
e=20
Globe=E2=80=99s playing area. This circle is tilted toward the audience, and=
 the center=20
of the circle is filled with flowers and other plants one might find growing=
 in=20
a forest. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Shakespeare=20=
set =E2=80=9CA=20
Midsummer Night=E2=80=99s Dream=E2=80=9D in Greece. However, he never visite=
d Greece and didn=E2=80=99t=20
have picture books to give him a view of the country. So, despite what is=20
printed in the script and various program notes =E2=80=94 think England. Sha=
kespeare=20
wrote about the world he knew =E2=80=94 that narrow corridor between Stratfo=
rd-on-Avon=20
and London. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Shakespeare=20=
surely=20
saw the fields of yellow flowers and the streams cutting across the fields.=20
Occasionally on this road, one will see a castle nestled in a clump of trees=
.=20
This is the setting for =E2=80=9CA Midsummer Night=E2=80=99s Dream.=E2=80=
=9D<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">The plot inc=
ludes=20
royalty, fairies and rustics (low characters). This is a wonderful mixture t=
hat=20
guarantees confusion and laughter. The plot is easier to follow on the stage=
=20
than when it is read. Lysander loves Hermia and Hermia loves Lysander. Helen=
a=20
Loves Demetrius; Demetrius used to love Helena but now loves Hermia. This=20
soap-opera style love triangle =E2=80=94 or is it a square? =E2=80=94 become=
s more confused when=20
Hermia=E2=80=99s father demands she marry Demetrius. At this point the fairi=
es get into=20
the action and place a love potion in the eyes of some of the characters=20=
=E2=80=94 when=20
they awake, they will love the first person they see. Of course, the fairies=
 get=20
confused as they go about their matchmaking and make falling in love=20
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">even more hu=
morous=20
than it usually is. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Puck, a fair=
y,=20
places a spell on Bottom and places a donkey=E2=80=99s head on the rustic. T=
itania,=20
queen of the fairies, has been given the love potion and awakes to fall in l=
ove=20
with Bottom and his donkey=E2=80=99s head. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">But, as=20
Shakespeare wrote, all=E2=80=99s well that ends well. And the right people g=
et together=20
and live happily until the curtain call. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">However, in=20
preparation for the wedding party, the rustics write a play, which is a paro=
dy=20
of the plays of Shakespeare=E2=80=99s day. The title of their production is=20=
=E2=80=9CThe Most=20
Lamentable Comedy, and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisby.=E2=80=9D The=20=
audience=20
follows the writing, rehearsal and, finally, the performance of this=20
play-within-a-play. And, what a merry company of actors brings this show to=20
life. The mechanics are Quince (Bob Parenti), Snug (Devon Stanley), Bottom=20
(Peter Voinovich), Flute (Aaron Coleman), Snout (Irving Korman) and Starveli=
ng=20
(Scott Thomas). The story of =E2=80=9CPyramus and Thisbe=E2=80=9D is a class=
ic love story of=20
Shakespeare=E2=80=99s time. The couple fall in love but are kept apart by a=20=
wall. When=20
they finally get together, Pyramus is dead, and when Thisbe discovers her lo=
ve=20
has died, she kills herself. (One might say this is the comic version of=20=
=E2=80=9CRomeo=20
and Juliet.=E2=80=9D) <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">But no detai=
l can=20
be omitted from this production. Korman as Snout plays the wall. On a rope=20
around his neck, he wears a stone wall that extends almost to his feet. He=20
extends his arms so that the lovers can speak through a chink in the wall, h=
is=20
outstretched fingers. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Bottom expla=
ins to=20
the audience that he will not really die and then plays the longest death sc=
ene=20
on record. Voinovich is a large man and, yet, he falls, rolls down the walls=
 of=20
the set and flops his body about the playing area until finally he seems to=20=
die.=20
Then he rises to explain that his soul has flown to heaven as he flutters hi=
s=20
hands in a bird-like gesture. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">He stopped t=
he=20
show. Even the cast applauded his death scene. This scene is so well-directe=
d=20
and so well-played that audience members were talking about the scene as the=
y=20
left the theater. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Coleman play=
s=20
Thisby with a small, high-pitched voice, a long, white gown that doesn=E2=
=80=99t quite=20
fit, a well-padded bra and a platinum wig that seems to have a mind of its o=
wn.=20
Coleman is the perfect foil for Voinovich. When the two play their love scen=
es,=20
it=E2=80=99s low, low comedy at its best. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Shakespeare=20=
should=20
be this much fun. This show is a perfect introduction for the young to the w=
orld=20
of Shakespeare. The production, under Neil Thackaberry=E2=80=99s direction,=20=
is=20
accessible to young audience members. In fact, because of a grant from the O=
hio=20
Arts Council, Actors=E2=80=99 Summit will be able to perform matinees for mo=
re than=20
1,000 students at special matinees. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">For ticket=20
information, call (330) 342-0800. <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p><=
/SPAN>
<o:p><FONT=20
size=3D3> </o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">David Ritchey=
 has a=20
Ph.D. in communications and is a professor of communications at The Universi=
ty=20
of Akron. He is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association.=20
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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