Elements Theatre Company to Stage A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, 8/9-18

Elements Theatre Company of Cape Cod kicks off its 2013-14 year-long tribute to William Shakespeare with one of his most popular comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream, August 9-11 and 16-18 at Paraclete House, Rock Harbor, Orleans. The inspiration for numerous adaptations, including Ingmar Bergman's "Smiles of a Summer Night," Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music," and a star-studded 1999 feature film with Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer, A Midsummer Night's Dream is the perfect escape on a hot summer's eve.

Set in modern-day Central Park, this comedy of love in its many guises brings together star-crossed lovers, quarreling kings and queens, mischievous fairy sprites and a ragtag troupe of traveling players, all caught under the summer moon's intoxicating spell. Romance and ambitions of grandeur run rampant, and it's difficult to tell the difference between the lovers, lost souls, and fools.

"Since A Midsummer Night's Dream is often a young theater-goer's introduction to the works of William Shakespeare, we felt it would be a wonderful opening to our 2013-14 season," says Sr. Danielle Dwyer, Elements artistic director. "During this 450th anniversary year of his birth, we want to celebrate the impact he has had on the modern theater and revel in his genius for touching and illuminating audiences with a deep understanding of the full spectrum of the human condition."

A Midsummer Night's Dream runs August 9, 10, 11 and August 16, 17, 18 at Elements Theatre Company, Paraclete House, Rock Harbor, Orleans, Cape Cod. All performances are at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $30 ($25 for seniors, FREE for students and age 18 and under). On August 10, 16 and 17, a special dinner/theater package is also available. Dinner is served outdoors on the patio adjacent to the theater at 6:00 p.m. Dinner/theater tickets are $60 ($55 for Seniors, $18 for ages 18 and under). Groups of 10 or more receive a 20% discount. For more information and reservations, call 508-240-2400. Tickets can also be purchased online at elementstheatre.org.

Elements' 2013-14 season continues in September with Yasmina Reza's wildly popular 2009 Tony Award-winning play God of Carnage, a scathing comedy of the absence of manners when two urban couples duke it out over their young sons' playground scuffle. Also in September, Elements will host a series of workshops and panel discussions in Boston and New York City focusing on "The Importance of Live Theater in Our Culture: The Art of Making Humans More Human."

In January, Elements will continue its year-long tribute with "The Word Made Flesh," an audio/video project presenting all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets, recited by people of all ages and walks of life. The company also goes on tour January and February, taking up residence in schools, colleges and universities throughout the region. Members of the creative team and Acting Company, experts in Shakespearean study and performance, will lead workshops, discussions and master classes that encourage students and faculty to take Shakespeare's words from the page to the stage.

Elements Theatre Company concludes its 2013/2014 birthday celebration of the Bard with an outdoor production of his greatest tragedy, King Lear, next summer. Taking place on the stately grounds of the Church of the Transfiguration at Rock Harbor, the play's exploration of human suffering, the loss of family relationship, and the transformation of a human soul takes on an even more profound level of spiritual yearning against such a majestic backdrop.

For more information about A Midsummer Night's Dream and the entire 2013-14 season, call the Elements Theatre Company box office at 508-240-2400 or visit online atwww.elementstheatre.org.