STC to Bring 'MIDSUMMER' to China

Following the Free For All 25th Anniversary performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream directed by Ethan McSweeny, the Shakespeare Theatre Company's (STC) production will travel to Macao, China, to perform this striking rendition of Shakespeare's iconic comedy at the 27th annual celebration of the Macao Arts Festival (MAF), which begins April 30 and lasts until May 29. In commemoration of the 400th anniversaries of William Shakespeare's and famed Chinese playwright Tan Xianzu's deaths, the MAF will present shows in tribute to these two virtuosos, including STC's A Midsummer Night's Dream. McSweeny's production will kick off the festival with performances on April 30 and May 1, 2016 at 8:00 p.m.

"Ethan McSweeny's Midsummer delighted D.C. audiences in our 2012-2013 season and again at our annual Free For All; we are eager to share this production-a love letter to Shakespeare, to the art form, and to the physical environment of theatre itself-with an international audience," says STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn. "We've had STC shows go abroad in the past-with Love's Labour's Lost in 2006 at the RSC's Complete Works Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon and The Oedipus Plays, which traveled to the prestigious 2003 Athens Festival in Greece-and we're proud of the opportunity to continue this tradition of international exchange."

In McSweeny's stunning "ghost light" production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, set in the ruins of an abandoned theatre, love, magic, and wonder fill the air. Hailed for providing "a guarantee of giddy-ever-after" (The Washington Post), "a feast for the senses" (DC Theatre Scene), and "a thoughtful...risky take on a familiar classic" (Washingtonian), the production creates a fantastical, unforgettable realm where reality and the supernatural intersect as four mismatched lovers flee to the forest and find their destinies forever changed.

"Midsummer remains a real touchstone in my work as a director and my long-time collaboration with STC, so I was thrilled when the Macao Arts Festival asked if I would bring this production to the other side of the world," says director Ethan McSweeny. "I look forward to welcoming new audiences to the wonder of this play, the magic of this production, and the work of the remarkable company of artists that make up the Shakespeare Theatre."

The original production of A Midsummer Night's Dream was sponsored by Arlene and Robert Kogod.

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