BWW Reviews: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM Combines Puppets and Live Action at the Spoleto Festival

There is much to love about the innovative production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Tom Morris, that is currently playing at the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, S.C. as part of the Spoleto Festival. A spare company of twelve actors enacts a large cast of characters with the help of puppets composed of inventive materials ranging from classical masks to simple workmen's tools. A co-production by the U.K.'s Bristol Old Vic and Handspring Puppet Company from South Africa, the production is a visual feast chock full of imaginative surprises.

Unfortunately, visuality trumps clarity in this production. Despite a relatively simple plot--four would-be lovers are lost in an enchanted forest inhabited by the king and queen of the fairyland--the action is confusing unless you know the play really, really well. This results in remarkably few laughs during the first half and many empty seats following the intermission.

Throughout its production history, the play has served as an apt vehicle for stunning visuals. In 1911, Herbert Beerbohm Tree's lavish production featured live bunnies and child actors adorned in twinkling lights. In Gregory Doran's dark interpretation for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2009, the fairy cast was augmented by wonderfully sinister dolls. The magical aspects of the plot invite visual storytelling. These elements work best, however, when they complement the story, rather than distracting from it. In Morris's production, the puppets frequently erect a barrier between actors and audience that prohibits our emotional connection with the characters. This is particularly true in the central story of the four lovers. The actors often seem hampered by their wooden puppets. Focused on positioning their puppets, they frequently resort to awkward, choppy line delivery. Only in the moments when the actors lay down the puppets and speak directly to one another do the plot and characterizations really come to life.

There are, however, many remarkable performances in this talented cast. In the dual roles of Theseus and Oberon, David Ricardo Pearce provides a rock solid centerpiece for the ensemble. Through his keenly drawn portrayal of Oberon, he manages to seamlessly integrate actor and puppet to fully embody the role of the Fairy King. He never sacrifices clean, clear vocal delivery, even when manipulating the huge classical statuary head and hand that form his puppet.

In another stand-out performance, Jon Trenchard brings charming vulnerability to the role of the tailor Starveling. His emotionally overwrought response to the Pyramus and Thisby play-within-a-play provides one of the productions most human and touching moments.

In any production of Dream, designers must grapple with the question of how to handle Bottom's transformation into an ass. Miltos Yerolemou plays the scenes virtually upside down in a contraption that makes Bottom's nude bottom the featured costume element. To his enormous credit, the actor manages to remain fully expressive despite the limitations imposed by his awkward body position and scant costume. His spunky Bottom is one of the production's strongest performances.

Probably the biggest disappointment of the production lies in the portrayal of Puck. In Shakespeare's text, this pivotal character serves as the central conduit between the disparate storylines of Athenian court, fairy kingdom, and rude mechanicals. In this production, Puck's lines are divided between three actors. His body is represented by a mishmash of "found" objects, including gardening tools and a basket. This vague and disjointed interpretation diminishes our understanding of the character and fails to clearly convey who or what he is.

The rehearsal room for this company must have been a delightfully imaginative working space. However, judicious artistic editing constitutes an essential part of the journey from rehearsal to stage. Scaling back some of the theatrical elements that get in the actors' way would enhance the audience's grasp of the action and serve to communicate the storyline with greater clarity.

Photo Credit: Simon Annand