Theater Review: "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Shakesperience

Washington Depot, CT - Shakespeare in the Litchfield Hills is back with a Shakesperience production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The final performance is tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Shakesperience Executive Producer Jeffrey Lapham reminded the audience during his curtain speech that there was no show in 2020, so this marks the third year that the troupe has performed in Washington. Shakesperience is a beloved nonprofit professional theater company founded in 1996 that reaches a Northeast audience of adults and students alike with both outdoor and in-studio performances, Saturday and private action classes, school and camp tours, and residency programs.

William Shakespeare’s “Midsummer” is probably the play of which I have seen the most productions. Not only do I know the plot without reading the notes, I am starting to recognize many of the lines as they come up. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but perhaps makes me more critical of directorial choices.

The Shakesperience production was directed, as always, by Emily Mattina, the artistic director. She writes: “With Shakespeare, there is always a striving for balance; Wonder that love prevails, that forgiveness is possible, that something is different, that something is the same, that against so many odds, trials, tribulations, heartaches….the play goes on. Again”

Community theater veteran Humphry Rolleston gets to speak first in the role of Thesus, the Duke. Rolleston played Sir Andrew in “Twelfth Night'' in 2021 and delightfully plays the title role in the Nutmeg Junction Radio Series “Barnaby Druthers.” He commands the stage in a white suit and tall wooden staff. All of the Athenians are dressed in white, in contrast to the colorful costumes worn by the fairies. His bride-to-be Hippolyta is portrayed by Robbie Freedman, who played Amelia in “The Comedy of Errors” in 2019.

Retired Region 12 educator Doug Winkel sports a hat and a cane in his role of Egeus, the stern father of Hermia, very well played by the lovely Abra Sergerson, an Equity performer. The actress joins Shakesperience for a third summer, after playing Viola in “Twelfth Night” and Adrianna in “The Comedy of Errors.” Equity actor Ted Bushman (Antipholus in “Comedy of Errors”) does very well in his role of Dymetrius and Equity’s Andy McCain plays Hermia’s other initial suitor Lysander in his Shakesperience debut. Bushman also served as the Fight Captain.

Mia Fowler plays the strongly drawn Helena, the fourth corner of the love square. Fowle is a New York based actor, writer and producer, who recently finished a tour of “Much Ado” with the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

The Mechanicals are brought to life by four men. Jake Green (Tom in “Radium Girls”) is good in the role of Peter Quince, the overworked leader of the theatrical group. That he carries a modern red toolbox as a prop makes for many comic moments. Bob Kelly of Waterbury plays Snug the Joiner and Waterbury native Doug Donato, who serves as the executive director of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, covers the role of Francis Flute.

As Nick Bottom, Sean Donegan gets the lion’s share (with apologies to the Lion in the play) of the comedy and he makes the most of every minute. Donegan is originally from New Jersey and works primarily in Ireland, making this production his stage debut in the United States.

In the fairy world, we have Equity actress Sarah Wiggin as Titania and Equity’s Michael Striano (“Comedy of Errors” in both 2015 and 2019) in the role of the mighty and mischievous Oberon. Wiggin is a professor of Theatre Performance at Missouri State University and has worked in New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

Jamie Hansen, outfitted in a bright blue that matches his master, leaps about in the role of Puck. He was raised in Hong Kong before moving to the UK to study at Cambridge University and played Dromios in “The Comedy of Errors.”

Hansen is also drafted to cover a few minor roles during the Mechanicals performance for the royals. I noticed as the troupe began the rehearsal process in the woods that they were short two actors and wondered how they would handle it during the play within a play. Hansen comes to the rescue to play the Philostrate, recommending a play for the newlyweds, and then is dragged into playing Moon with the bumbling troupe. This is wonderful casting and Hansen pulls it off.

Sofia Alonzo,a rising eighth grade student at St. John School in Watertown and a Blessed Sacrament Children’s Theater alum, takes on the role of the fairy Peaseblosson, WAMS sophomore Jayden Greenlaw is Cobweb in his first Shakesperience show and Viola Lapham, who somehow is all grown up into a teenager, rounds out the fairies as Mustardseed. Miss Lapham has been performing with her parents since 2012. At their first entrance, the three fairies share the lines in a unique way, but that does not continue. They sing together a lullaby for Titania that was designed by Music Director Jake Green.

Costumes designed by Michael O’Herron are all quite lovely. The set design by Mike Mroch is massive and open, with white columns marked with thin green lighting standing in for trees, and enhanced by beautiful uplighting (and audio) by Advanced Lighting and Sound Solutions. The actors share a tent behind the stage, but from my angle I could see them making their entrances in character via the staircases at the rear of the stage. Wonderful props included a long purple flower dripping magic, working lanterns and a fun donkey mask for Bottom. The final scene that includes all of the cast members is striking, leading to very well choreographed bows for the curtain call.

The play is presented with one fifteen minute intermission and ends by 9:30 p.m. Picnicking begins at 7:00 p.m. Don’t forget the bug spray.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues. She posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. She recently became a contributor to the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column and theatre reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

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