Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at Brightside Theatre

If we shadows have offended…

The beginning of Puck’s final monologue in William Shakespeare’s much loved and performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is the current production being performed at BrightSide Theatre in Naperville.  Director Jason Harrington has adapted the classic. There are several twists to the story and they work. The ensemble of 17 – all but three in their BST debut – bring new life into this production. The costumes by Cheryl Newman are modern day with flowy ethereal designs for the fairies and in the Enchanted Wood. There are several original songs written for this production by Paul Scherer. The lyrics are in the style of Shakespeare and are perfectly paired with this story.

Shakespeare’s play teaches lessons about the complexities and mystery of love. It also shows the downside of trying to control it. Along the way it also highlights the unpredictability, irrationality, the downfall of manipulation, but also the importance of reconciling and forgiveness. The Athenian couples Hermia (Abby Naden), Lysander (Tyler Szarabajka), Demetrius (Jack Baust) and Helena (Jill Shoemaker) become entangled in a love triangle and their romantic journey is complicated due to the fairies in the Enchanted Wood led by Puck (Jake Harrison Murphy). The King and Queen of the Fairies, Oberon (Jason Lacombe) and Titania (Gina Phillips) are arguing and Oberon asks Puck to use a love potion to make Titania fall in love with the first creature she sees. Puck mistakenly puts the potion on Lysander which leads to confusion among the lovers.  A group of Athenian craftsmen (Scott Kelly, Austin Jordan, Emily Sherman, Nicholas Switzer, Sara B.T. Thiel, Sam Welch, John Zimmerman) are preparing a play to  be performed at the wedding of Theseus (Jason Lacombe) and Hippolyta (Gina Phillips). Their rehearsals are hideous due to the fact that Nick Bottom (Scott Kelly) has been turned into a donkey. Theseus realizes the two Athenian couples are fighting and almost come to blows. He has Puck reverse the potion. The reconciliation between both couples begins and they finally end up with the right person. Puck gives his final monologue questioning whether the audience has dreamed everything they saw.  

Did Shakespeare mean for his audience to think that love might be a dream? That it can be fickle? Or did he intend to show that love can endure any obstacle. BrightSide is giving its audiences a chance to ponder those and other questions. What fools these mortals be…… 

Chicago Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. RENT (Highland Park Players)

7% of votes

2. HAIRSPRAY (Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park)

6.9% of votes

3. DREAMGIRLS (The Drama Group)

6.4% of votes

Vote Now!