Cinema Screening of Shakespeare's Globe's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at NapaShakes 28/7

On July 28, 2018 NapaShakes will invite audiences to "Rock the Ground" when it presents the world-premiere cinema screening of Emma Rice's crowd-pleasing production from London's Shakespeare's Globe of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The screening will be followed by a Bollywood Disco Celebration to benefit NapaShakes.

The screening starts at The Cameo Cinema in St. Helena at 5 pm, followed by an unabashedly theatrical celebration including Dinner, Drinks and Disco, plus some Dreamy performance art, at the Caldwell-Snyder Gallery. Capacity is strictly limited and the event is one-night only; guests are encouraged to wear their Bollywood or Disco finest. This Midsummer Night's Dream was captured live on stage and screened online by the BBC; this represents the first time it will be screened in a cinema anywhere in the world.

Former Globe Artistic Director Emma Rice's Bollywood-inspired production is a wild mash-up of theatre, comedy and music which sold-out every performance at London's Globe Theatre, and which shocked Shakespeare traditionalists by adding amplified music (including an electric sitar) as well as artificial lighting: a "Rock the Ground" neon sign (plus a disco ball) to the Globe's formerly staid stage.

In addition to Indian influences, the production includes a touch of David Bowie, George Formby and some original songs, and a wildly uninhibited performance by the international cabaret star Meow Meow as Tatiana.

Decidedly non-traditional in her approach, the director cleverly replaces the female character Helena with a male character: Helenus, in this crowd-pleasing gender and genre-bending production aimed at making Shakespeare approachable, relatable, and - above all - raucous good fun.

The screening and celebration mark the latest chapter in the relationship between the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre of London, and NapaShakes, a Napa Valley based nonprofit, which has presented The Globe Theatre live on stage in performance twice, as well as multiple sold-out seasons of Globe on Screen at the Cameo Cinema.

Proceeds from the evening will benefit NapaShakes arts and education programs and the return of a new season of Globe on Screen presented by NapaShakes at the Cameo. The Globe is expected to return live to NapaShakes in 2019.

Tickets are available on Eventbrite via NapaShakes' website: www.napashakes.org/tickets. All tickets are $65 including the screening and celebration. The screening runs 2 hours and 52 minutes, including a 15-minute interval. The evening is most appropriate for age 21 and older.

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