PrideArts To Present Gender-Bending Virtual Reading Of Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

PrideArts today announced a reading of Shakespeare's comedy A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, to be performed Tuesday, June 22nd at 7:00 pm. Peter Vamvakas, who directed the company's readings of Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT and Joe Calarco's SHAKESPEARE'S R&J, will direct the classic as a gender bending romp through ancient Greece.

In Vamvakas's staging, several of the roles will be taken by actors of the opposite genders from those originally indicated by the text. The characters' genders will not be changed, thus showing the universality of love, regardless of gender pairings of the lovers. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM will be performed one night only, on Tuesday, June 22 at 7 pm.

Vamvakas's cast will include Erin Roux (she/her/hers) as Oberon, Robin Starveling, Tom Snout, Snug, and Francis Flute; Alicia Berneche (she/her/hers) as Hippolyta and Puck; Tom Shea (he/him/his) as Egeus and Bottom; Anne Marie Lewis (she/her/hers) as Titania and Theseus; Peter Vamvakas (he/him/his) as Peter Quince and Philostrate; Risha Tenae (she/her/hers) as Hermia and 1st Fairy, Peasblossom; Jessica Goforth (she/her/hers) as Lysander and 2nd Fairy, Cobweb; Brooks Whitlock (he/him/his) as Helenus and 3rd Fairy, Mote; and Scott Wolf (he/him/his) as Demetrius and 4th Fairy, Mustardseed. Eileen Scandiffio (she/her/hers) will be stage manager.

Tickets $10.00 available at pridearts.org or by phone at 773-857-0222 In this comic fantasy, four lovers find true love with the help of several bewitching fairies over a warm summer night. This virtual reading will be a gender bending romp through ancient Greece, with several of the characters played by actors of genders that are the opposite of those traditionally cast, again proving Oscar Wilde's assertion that "love is love is love."

One of Shakespeare's most beloved plays, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is a sly reckoning with love, jealousy, and marriage and its popularity has never waned across the centuries since its first performance around 1596.