Stage Review - A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bainbridge Performing Arts)

Stage Review - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Presented By: Bainbridge Performing Arts - Bainbridge Island, WA
Show Run: June 28 - July 14, 2024
Date Reviewed: Friday, June 28, 2024 (Opening Night)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

I’ve said this before, and I’m sure I’ll continue to say it for as long as I have at least a semblance of a platform. There is nothing like Shakespeare performed outdoors. His classic works just seem to scream to be performed in the open air, especially when produced in what would seem to be a more traditional way. It’s clear that I’m not the only one who feels this way, as Shakespeare in the Park is a thing found extensively around the world, and even more clear is that its something Kitsap County audiences attend in numbers year after year when Bainbridge Performing Arts (BPA) presents whatever the latest edition of their Bard at Bloedel series is, their annual excursion into the fresh air and beautiful surroundings that is the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island. This year is the third such show that I’ve seen as part of this program, the first being The Comedy of Errors followed by last year’s production of the Tempest. This year, BPA is putting up A Midsummer Night’s Dream, running through July 14 and directed by Elizabeth Allum.

There is a lot to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. First off, there is the engagement and impending wedding of Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, an event around which all of the other storylines revolve and upon which they eventually converge. Then there are the two sets of lovers…..Lysander is in love with Hermia, who also loves Lysander but she is betrothed to Demetrius, causing her father Egeus to come to Theseus to bring a settlement to the love triangle. Then there is Helena, who is in love with Demetrius, though it’s not requited. Meanwhile, in the fairy world, Oberon, King of the Faires, estranged from Queen Titania, has devised a plan convince her to hand over the changeling she has in her possession over to him. Oberon’s right hand, Puck, who is in charge of carrying out this mission and, through a series of misunderstandings, causes the quartet of lovers get strangely (and humorously) mixed up in this plan that results in each of them falling in love with each other and back again. Finally, an acting troupe made up of local laborers begins practicing a play they hope to be able to perform for the Duke at his wedding ceremony. One of them, Nick Bottom, who will play the role of Pyramus in the tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that they hope to perform, also gets mixed up in Oberon’s scheme. There’s a lot here, but Shakespeare does a fantastic job of weaving these storylines together, keeping the audience attuned to each and bringing them all together nicely at the end. For my part, it’s Shakespeare’s funniest comedy, and while each of the situations in and of themselves provide a lot of the comedic context, this play affords the actors the opportunity to add so much more to an already funny show in the way they present their characters.

And this group does not disappoint. Oberon, Titania, and Hippolyta are the more straight and serious roles in the play and Theseus is enjoyable in that he is generally along for the ride, but all of the other leads do a great job at ratcheting up the humor in their roles, led by Jason and Sadie Gingold as Nick Bottom and Puck respectively. Sadie as Puck is so good here as the happy-go-lucky and a bit mischievous sidekick of Oberon’s and the perfect foil to the Fairy King’s serious nature. Sadie’s Puck is perhaps the most energetic and endearing character that I’ve seen on stage this season in any production. There’s so much about the way Sadie portrays Puck that is wonderful and funny, and she is a big reason why A Midsummer Night’s Dream doesn’t feel at all like its 2 1/2 hour runtime (plus intermission). Meanwhile, Jason’s Nick Bottom, a weaver by trade and one who perceives himself to be a better actor than anyone else in his troupe, believes he can play all of the characters better than anyone else. Jason plays him over the top, overdramatizing every part of his role, even more so when Bottom plays Pyramus, he is so funny and entertaining here. His death scene in the tragedy performed for the Duke, is designed to go on and on and Jason plays this to the extreme, perfectly walking that fine line between extending the scene and going for too long. His horsemanship as Bottom is also worth a laugh out loud shout out.

The other members of the acting troupe each bring their own brand of humor to their roles. Kate Henderson’s Robin Starveling, who plays Moonshine in the “tragedy within the comedy”, is nervous and hesitant, Sarah B. Denison’s Tom Snout is enthusiastic as Wall, Will Langemack’s Francis Flute is the reluctant object of Pyramus’ affection Thisbe, Blaire Burdey is the understated Snug the Joiner and Lion in the tragedy, and Cynthia Jacobs’ Peter Quince does his best to bring order to the chaos that is this group of passionate but perhaps not so talented actors.

The quartet of lovers are entertaining as well, their timing in delivery of their dialogue excellent and they have mastered the physical aspects of their performances as well. Lena Sofia Dozeman is Hermia, Poppy Hufstader plays Helena, Nicholas Allen Pecora is Lysander, and Owen Benson Demetrius. Nicholas and Owen are especially entertaining when both Lysander and Demetrius vie for the affections of Helena after falling under Oberon’s sway. And on the subject of Oberon, Charley Pope plays him for the first two weeks of the show’s run while Jason Noltemeier manages the character for the tail end. Charley’s performance is strong, and while he’s largely serious in this role, there are some humorous moments, usually as a result of his dealings with Sadie’s Puck. His frame is large, as is his presence on stage with a costume reminiscent of Disney’s Maleficent, complete with cape and horns.

Costumes are a big part of this show, especially when it comes to the fairies. Besides Charley’s Oberon, Kristin Bradberry’s costume design is truly impactful when it comes to Titania and her fairy band (Eleanor Aurora as Peaseblossom, Anika Bhatt as Cobweb, Hunter Allum as Moth, Cordelia Urban as Mustardseed, all joined by Caledonia Ruth Baesman and Julia Bryce). Titania is played so wonderfully by Talena Laine. She’s authoritative, strong, and sultry, her movements slow and deliberate. Her costume is befitting of this performance with some middle-eastern flair, in fact the wardrobe for all of the fairies is striking, almost tribal in look and design. One of the benefits of the setting at the Bloedel Reserve is that for this show, fairies can truly come out of the forest, and watching them enter the stage area from the grouping of trees in these costumes, with their smooth, slow, and purposeful movements is something to behold.

With all of these intersecting storylines revolving around the nuptials of Theseus and Hippolyta, these are important characters as well, though strangely for such primary characters, they’re not on stage as much as some of the others. Peter C. Benson is Theseus, and his work here is very good. Peter’s delivery of dialogue is quick, his diction clear and confident. He also has a knack for being able to add to his delivery through an inflection that creates a deeper meaning in the words that he is speaking. His Hippolyta is played by Rae Hyra, who opens the play with a beautiful version of a song written by the play’s Director Elizabeth Allum. Rae plays Hippolyta as soft spoken but at the same time clear in her position as Queen of the Amazons, never one to shy away from one-upping her fiancee. Helping Theseus in planning his wedding and with his overall decision making is Philostrate, played here by Chapple Langemack. There’s a scene in which Theseus is choosing between a few entertainment options for his wedding, which requires a fun interaction between Chapple’s Philostrate and Peter’s Theseus, which is quite enjoyable and well performed. Finally, Pete Simpson plays Egeus, the troubled father of Hermia who comes to Theseus asking for help in settling her affairs between Demetrius and Lysander. Again, a small role, but as with the entire group that Elizabeth has put together, very well cast.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. With five intersecting storylines threaded together by a wedding between the Duke of Athens and the Queen of the Amazons, the story includes fairies, a quartet of lovers who get mixed up in a vengeful plot, and a rag tag troupe of actors who bumble their way on to the stage of the Duke. The story is funny and entertaining in its own right, but in the hands of director Elizabeth Allum and the fantastic cast that she has but together, the BPA production of this classic soars, a wonder in the more wondrous setting that is the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, presented by Bainbridge Performing Arts, runs through July 14 at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org/.

Photo credit: Adam Othman