BWW Interviews: The Guthrie's MIDSUMMER Queen Christina Acosta Robinson

For the third time on the Guthrie Theater stage, Artistic Director Joe Dowling brings what's perhaps the most well-known and beloved Shakespeare comedy, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM back for this final season at the Tony Award-winning company on Minneapolis' riverbank. This romantic tale weaves together four stories in a moonlit forest on a midsummer night: the marriage of the Athenian duke to the Amazon queen; the warring Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies; the follies of four lovers in a forest; and the comical efforts of working men and women to stage a play for the royal wedding.

Christina Acosta Robinson (A Guthrie Experience for Actors in Training; Mixed Blood Theatre: HOUSE OF SPIRTS) plays the two queens in in Dowling's fantastical re-telling.

Get to know a little more about this actor and her take on the production before heading out to see it. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM begins previews Saturday, Feb. 7, opens Friday, Feb. 13 and continues through Sunday, March 29, 2015, in the Wurtele Thrust Stage at the Guthrie. Single tickets start at $29 (or $15 for select previews), and are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, 612.225.6244 (Group Sales) and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

Q: What characters do you play in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and how would you describe them?

A: I play Titania, the queen of Fairyland. And I also play Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. Titania is a very loving/ nurturing queen. Her fairies adore her, mortals adore her - everyone adores her because she loves, protects and cares for them. Hippolyta is a fearless warrior queen, who has been violently captured by Theseus and his Athenian army as a bounty of war. When the play begins, she is - at most - unenthused about their upcoming nuptials.

Q: What are the particular challenges of your character?

A: My biggest challenge is Titania's facility with words. She is never at a loss for words and she is not afraid to use them. Her thoughts are clear and complete and totally inarguable. I have always struggled with that. I am constantly at a loss for words (which is largely the reason I became an actor - because the words are always there. I wish life were scripted). I don't know that I will ever understand what it's like to be a person who speaks so freely. It's what I love most about Titania. And it's the best lesson I can learn from her.

Q: Are your characters like each other?
A: I believe my characters are very much alike in their strength and power. The major difference is their circumstances. Titania lives in her element, free to do what she's meant to do and be who she was meant to be. Hippolyta has been captured and placed in a kingdom which deeply contrasts the world she once knew. It's almost like Titania is the spirit of Hippolyta. Titania and Hippolyta explain each other in a lot of ways.

Q: What drew you to the play?
A: I am drawn to the amount of room the play leaves for the artist's imagination. You can go so many ways with the interpretation of it. And because there are so many possibilities, it's harder to get it wrong than it is to get it right. It's fun to do. It's endless in the exploration of it.

Q: What part of the story resonates most with you?

A: I love Bottom's journey in this play. It reminds me how oftentimes in life the last person to see the ass for the ass he is, is the ass himself. Too often we are the last people to really see ourselves for who we are. And when we finally do see ourselves - our weaknesses, our beauty, our strength - it is a true act of humility and courage. I love how this is illustrated in the play through Bottom's journey.

Q: What aspect of the play are you most excited about?

A: I am really excited about flying, actually! I have never done it before. I am really excited about how we will be using the space - in the round. I am excited about the incredible costumes and varied music and dance styles, and seating on the actual stage! I am used to doing Shakespeare with, like, two chairs and 12 sticks, so to have all these wonderfully elegant features makes me beyond excited!

Q: What do you look forward to most in returning to the Guthrie?

A: I look forward to doing this show in honor of Ken Washington. When I auditioned for the Guthrie Experience in 2009, I auditioned for Ken with a Titania monologue. He passed away the same week that I was asked to audition for this production of MIDSUMMER. He was all you could ask for in a mentor and teacher. I'm looking forward to dedicating this performance to him. We love you, Ken.

Photo: Christina Acosta Robinson - Courtesy of Guthrie Theater.

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