Theatre : A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Park

I headed out to Marylhurst last night with Shawna to watch the Portland Actors Ensemble 45th Annual Shakespeare in the Parks production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

I had forgotten it was Art Beat week, and our bus ran a little late, so when we arrived the play was already started and the entire part of the green that was in the shade in front of the shell was full of people there to see the play.

The opening scenes were still underway, with Egeus arguing that Hermia must marry Demetrius or become a nun, so had only missed a couple of pages of the play by the time we got set up further up the hill in the scant bit of shade offered by the other trees near the shell.

I won’t explain the story of the play, the Portland Actors Ensemble already has a great little study guide that they put together about the play.

I must admit to enjoying this production a lot more than I did the one of Antony & Cleopatra I saw a couple of weeks ago. Part of it is because I think this is just the better of the two plays, I enjoy Shakespeare’s comedies more than his historical tragedies.

In terms of the acting, I think the level of the performers was a lot more equal in this production. The actress playing Helena did a fantastic job and almost stole every scene she was in.

Helena and Demetrius, Oberon looking on

The costumes felt more fitting as well. The Athenian’s dressed in formal wear, and the fairies looking much as they typically do in productions of the play.

Bottom transformed into an ass

Demetrius and Lysander holding Hermia back, Helena chiding them, Oberon looking on

Oberon and Puck

I always forget about the plays ending, the play-within-a-play production of “Pyramus and Thisbe”.

Pyramus and Thisbe, with Wall between them

I didn’t get a good shot of the cast bowing at the end, but I got one of Puck delivering the plays final lines.

The full cast with Puck giving the final lines.

There are a few presentations left this summer. Given that it is a free production of the play (though I donated 20 bucks for a t-shirt to match my Antony & Cleopatra one, they were green).

Next weekend I am hoping to catch the Portland Actors Ensemble production of “Taming of the Shrew” at Mt. Tabor Park, it should be a fun show.

Edit 2014/08/07: Correction, the “Taming of the Shrew” performance is by Original Practice Shakespeare festival and is a daytime performance instead of evening. Not sure if I’ll be going after all.