Cast Announced For The Connecticut Shakespeare Festival's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM by William Shakespeare, directed by Emma Rosa Went, is the first production of the inaugural season of the Connecticut Shakespeare Festival. The theme of this season is "Shakespeare and Sondheim." There will be live, outdoor performances at Auerfarm in Bloomfield running from July 7-17, and a talk back with the cast on July 11.

The Connecticut Shakespeare Festival will transport audiences into fantastical worlds of the unknown! After a year of isolation, come escape from your lives as you connect to the wonder and mysteries of Shakespeare, Sondheim, and fairytale. Tickets are now on sale. To purchase tickets and learn more about the show, visit www.ConnecticutShakespeareFestival.org.

Magic blows into town as a Duke and a Duchess prepare for their wedding day, some amateur actors rehearse a play for the party, and four young lovers run into the woods - where a kingdom of fairies emerges to enchant, transform, and entangle us in their dreams. Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM - one of the most enduringly popular plays of all time - is a wild and whimsical celebration of love, nature, and the magic of theatre itself.

The cast includes Kara Arena (Hermia) select credits include: THE WINTER'S TALE; TWELFTH NIGHT; EVITA, Olivia Rose Barresi (Helena): GALLATHEA; KING JOHN; PROMETHEUS BOUND, Chris Bellinger (Oberon/Theseus): Posthumous CYMBELINE; Uncle John THE GRAPES OF WRATH; Julius Caesar JULIUS CAESAR, Katie Brough (Snug/Peaseblossom): SOMETHING ROTTEN!; CHICAGO; 25TH ANNUAL..., Bianca Day (Understudy): FOOTLOOSE; DESCENDANTS; A CHORUS LINE, Jack Dillon (Demetrius): Connecticut Repertory Theatre: William Shakespeare SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, THE MOUSETRAP, recently seen in FX/Hulu's DAVE, Robert Denzel Edwards (Lysander): Syracuse Stage: Nilo MADNESS; IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE; A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Hallie Friedman (Understudy): THREE SISTERS; THE KIDS TABLE; SHEL, Zoë Goslin (Hippolyta/Titania): JULIUS CAESAR; OLD NAMES FOR WILDFLOWERS; THREE SISTERS, Patrick Harvey (Bottom): KEN LUGWIG'S TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS; Signature Theater: ARTAUD/ARTAUD; THE DINGDONG, Tania Kass (Egeus/Quince) DON'T LET ME DOWN; A MOTHER'S HEART; MIDNIGHT ON A MONDAY, Danny Kelly (Understudy): THE CURIOUS INCIDENT...; BLOOD AT THE ROOT; SWEENEY TODD, Isaac Kueber (Francis Flute): Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals PRIVATE GOMER; SPRING AWAKENING; HENRY IV, Miss Sandra Mhlongo (Puck/Philostrate) PETER AND THE STARCATCHER; DON JUAN COMES BACK FROM WAR; Sojourner Truth SUFFRAGE AND COURAGE, Resa Mishina (Starveling/Moth): WHITE PEARL; A CHORUS LINE; PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Katrien Van Riel (First Fairy/Musician): GODSPELL; GLASS TOWN; THE NECKLACE.

Tickets are now on sale for live, outdoor performances. Gates open two hours prior to each performance of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. Bring your own chairs, blankets, etc. Check www.ConnecticutShakespeareFestival.org for additional vendors and pre-show entertainment. INTO THE WOODS, SHAKESPEARE 4 KIDS, and SNOW WHITE will also be featured in the festival. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is a Main Stage production and will be preceded by The Green Show (pre-show entertainment).