A Midsummer Night's Dream at js@jsnyc.com

Renaissance Now Theatre & Film, led by Kathy Curtiss, specializes in freely adapting Shakespearean plays. The troupe will present "A Midsummer Night's Dream," transported to the California Rock Music scene of Laurel Canyon in the early 1970’s, from July 26 to 29 at The Chain Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, 4th floor.

Directed by Laurie Harrop Purser with vocal/text work by Steven Rimke, the adaptation was developed in workshops this year at Castle Amphitheater in Provo, UT, a thousand-seat, Greek-style open air stone amphitheater in the mountains of the Beehive State.

This adaptation of Shakespeare's most famous comedy is more visual than language-conceptual, being modernized to a California rock fest but sticking to the script most of the time. Its setting is a 1970 rock concert in Laurel Canyon, outside Los Angeles. The war that is scripted in Shakespeare's original is replaced by a battle of the bands: a sing-off involving Theseus, the Duke of Rock and Hippolyta, the Amazon of Songs. The comedic characters – the Mechanicals – are the opening act for Theseus and Hippolyta. The set is simple with projections depicting the rock concert setting and the woods surrounding Laurel Canyon. Costumes are indicative of late 1960’s and early 1970’s. There is singing, stage fighting, and chasing throughout the play as love triangles shift back and forth.

Perception changes with a dimensional shift into a land where fairies and fairy royalty exist in tandem with rock stars. The door to this dimensional shift is a “weed” often found and smoked at rock concerts. The mischievous fairy/roadie Puck enables the audience to see the Mechanicals turn into fairies before their eyes.  There is much in this interpretation about perspective and "seeing what we want to see" when it comes to love. Ultimately everyone finds their way out of the woods, everyone is paired with the proper partner and it ends with hilarity and dance.

Direction, dance and fight choreography are by Laurie Harrop-Purser. Text work is by Assistant Director Steven Rimke. Costume Design is by Brooklyn Cordner. Music and sound design are by Nate Lowry. Lighting, projections and set design are by Rychard Curtiss. The actors are Rick Macy, Amanda Williams, Ryan Hopkins, Desmond Walker, Yulissa Torres, Joshua Johnson, Sydney Olsen, Seven Harrison, Sonja Hugo, Eden Bostrom, Caleb Voss, Joshua Munoz, Charli Purser, Austin Zimmerman and Preston Ochsenhirt.

Authors

• Allen Shawn
• Caca Rosset
• Ellen Bower
• Ken Guilmartin
• Michael Philip Ward
• William Penn
• William Shakespeare

Tony Awards and Nominations for A Midsummer Night's Dream