A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM To Be Presented By Smoking Mirror Theater Company
The show is co-directed by John Gordon and Ruby Rich.
Smoking Mirror Theatre Company, an emerging Shakespeare troupe, is set to present "A Midsummer Night's Dream" from August 27 to September 13 in Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at the A.R.T/New York Theatres, 502 West 53rd Street.
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" weaves together three stories around the wedding of the Duke of Athens. Fleeing arranged marriages and unrequited love, two Athenian couples escape into a magical forest where mischievous fairies manipulate their affections, leading to chaos, mistaken identities, and ultimately, happy endings. A bitter family feud between two gods of the forest--Oberon and Titania--throws both the natural world and human lives into turmoil. Thematically, the comedy explores the extremes of human behavior, from the tenderness of young love to its shocking cruelty, revealing how quickly emotions and relationships can change. Director John Gordon Rich muses that Shakespeare's play was likely inspired by a combination of ancient Greek mythology and Celtic fairy lore. The stage picture for such uncanniness, he reasons, should be minimalist, leaving much to the audience's imagination. Boldly colored lighting and simple costuming will add vividness, but Shakespeare’s language will take center stage.
The actors are: Sam Andrews (Snug & Mote), Kaleb Baker (Demetrius), Martin Challinor (Puck), Aaron Cirillo (Lysander), Isabel Criado (Hermia), Robert Daniel (Flute), Catherine Desciak (Hippolyta & Mustardseed), Caroline Feduccia (Starveling & Cobweb), Rosalind Joyce (Snout & Peaseblossom), Julianne Lorndale (Helena), James Mackey (Oberon & Theseus), Abdullah Naser (Nick Bottom), Ruby Rich (Titania), and Tony Savage Thorn (Egeus & Peter Quince). Stage Manager is Jasmine Ada.
Lighting Designer is Nicole Blodig. Set and costume design are by Ruby Rich and John Gordon with costume assistance from Janet Holmes. Musical Director is Cam Gray. Dance and Movement Choreographer is Judy Fowler. Fight Director is Joseph Travers.
Smoking Mirror Theatre Company is making late summer Shakespeare productions at A.R.T.'s Gural Theatre a regular annual event, having previously mounted "The Tempest" (2024) and "The Life and Death of King John" (2025) there. Thinking Theater NYC (Stephanie Pietros) commended "The Tempest," writing "the cast’s wide-ranging skills stand out, both in presenting the range of emotion the text demands as well as expertise in choreography and music." Theater Beyond Broadway (Tony Marinelli) called "The Life and Death of King John" a "clear-eyed, sharp-toothed, and slyly entertaining production," likening it to "'Succession' reimagined by Jerzy Grotowski Poor Theatre."
The company had previously presented "Timon of Athens" in 2007 on Theatre Row; "Shakespeare's Fools and Clowns" (a collage of scenes from various Shakespeare comedies featuring clowns and fools) at Playwrights Horizons Theater School (2017), and "Shakespeare's Prisons: Tales of Conscience and Illusion" at Theaterlab (2023). John Gordon directed all four productions and played Timon in "Timon of Athens." He has appeared as Claudius in "Hamlet" (Steps Theatre Company, 2000), performed improv widely in NYC, and over the years directed numerous theatrical short pieces for special occasions, including for charitable and educational organizations.
Ruby Rich (Co-director & Titania) has appeared in numerous principal parts in classics OOB and at Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey. In productions of Smoking Mirror Theatre Company at Gural Theatre, she was Assistant Director and played Prospera in "The Tempest" in 2024 and played Lady Constance in "King John" last season.
The A.R.T./New York Theatres are a project of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./New York) which provide state-of-the-art, accessible venues and top-line technical equipment at subsidized rates, so that the city’s small and emerging theatre companies can continue to experiment, grow, and produce new works. Founded in 1972, A.R.T./New York assists over 500 member theaters in realizing their rich artistic visions and serving their diverse audiences well. A.R.T./New York accomplishes this through providing progressive services to our members – from shared office and rehearsal spaces to technical assistance programs for emerging theatres. Because of this dedication to serving the needs of the nonprofit theatre community, A.R.T./New York has received numerous honors, including an Obie Award, an Innovative Theatre Award, a New York City Mayor’s Award for Arts & Culture, and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. For more information, please visit www.art-newyork.org.
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