UC Berkeley's TDPS to Present A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, 10/18-27

TDPS opens its 2013-2014 season with one of Shakespeare's most magical and endearing comedies in honor of the Bard's upcoming 450th birthday. Christine Nicholson will direct the story of the four young lovers crossing paths in an enchanted forest, setting the production during the 1960s. "I thought the tension of the time fit the tension of the play," says Nicholson. "We see how far people will go in the pursuit of love; we see the lengths that authority will go to keep the status quo. We see the effects of desire and the pursuit of power."

The colorful production will feature a cast of thirty student actors. "I love working with large casts," says Nicholson. "There is an energy you don't find in smaller groups. And with a large cast we can more fully create the world of the play, and many more actors can have a part in that world. The UC actors are always so incredibly engaged, committed, enthusiastic, and an absolute joy."

For the student actor, Shakespeare's plays have a particular appeal and relevance. "Shakespeare's language provides one of the best challenges for putting their vocal training to work," says Nicholson. "His characters are archetypal, and deeply drawn. The heart of this play reaches down into our collective humanity, past those human attributes that separate us, and takes us on a shared journey of human experience."

California Shakespeare Theater's resident dramaturg and Shakespeare scholar Philippa Kelly has partnered with UC Berkeley this season to provide audience enrichment for the production. She will host a post-show talk back discussion following the performance on Sunday, October 20th at 2pm.

The creative team includes Choreography by Nathaniel Justiano, Scenic Design by TDPS alumna Gena Whitman, Costume Design by Wendy Sparks, Lighting Design by David K. H. Elliott, and Sound Design by Ian Thomas.

The Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies teaches performance as a mode of critical inquiry, creative expression, and public engagement. Through performance training and research, we create liberal arts graduates with expanded analytical, technical, and imaginative capacities. As a public institution, we make diversity and inclusion a key part of our teaching, art making, and public programming.

A Midsummer Night's Dream opens Friday, October 18th at Zellerbach Playhouse on the UC Berkeley campus, and runs weekends through Sunday, October 27th. Performance times are as follows: October 18, 19, 25, 26 at 8pm; October 20, 27 at 2pm. 8pm Fridays & Saturdays, 2pm Sundays

Tickets available at tdps.berkeley.edu. $15.00 - General Admission, $10.00 - Students/Seniors, UC Faculty/Staff. Group discounts for ten or more: $7.00 - Students/Seniors, $10.00 - General Admission.