Free 'Midsummer Night's Dream' Performances Coming To Reston Town Square Park

RESTON, VA — NextStop Theatre Company of Herndon is presenting three performances of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" this weekend at Reston Town Square Park.

"We're collaborating with the Reston Town Center Association, the Reston Community Center and ArtsFairfax to put on those performances for free," said Tomoko Azuma, NextStop's director of development.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is Shakespeare's whimsical comic-fantasy, where mortals cross paths with the likes of Oberon the fairy king, his wife Queen Titania, and mischievous Puck.

The three performances will start at 7 p.m., on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, at Reston Town Square Park, which is located at 11900 Market St.

Cast

• Devin Nikki Thomas - Theseus/Oberon
• Nicole Ruthmarie - Hippolyta/Titania
• Carolyn Kashner - Puck/Philostrate
• Michael Burgos - Egeus/Bottom
• Denisse Penaflor - Hermia/Snug
• Isabella Lash - Helena/Flute
• Kellan Oelkers - Lysander/Snout
• Stephen Kime - Demetrius/Starveling
• Charli Simone - Peter Quince/First Fairy

Production Team

• Christopher Michael Richardson - Director
• Renea S. Brown - Associate Director
• Donna Reinhold - Production Stage Manager
• Christina Marie McCann - Rehearsal Stage Manager
• Sarah Beth Hall - Scenic Designer
• Tom O’Reilly - Lead Carpenter
• Alexa Duimstra - Costume Designer
• Justin Schmitz - Sound Designer
• Sarah Tundermann - Lighting Designer/Coordinator
• Annmarie Castrigno - Lighting Consultant
• Sofia Quinteiro - Properties Designer/Assistant Stage Manager
• Christian Sandridge - Assistant Stage Manager
• Ian Claar - Violence Coordinator

In spite of the health restrictions for large gatherings, NextStop managed to stay busy and keep its audience engage during the pandemic.

"We did a virtual musical production," Azuma said. "We did a filmed one and we also did a kids program that was also filmed in groups virtually, and then it was edited and put together into one performance and was streamed afterwards."

The theater company began transitioning back to live performances last June.

"We've been operating at half capacity for several months through the fall and just trying to keep people safe by having masking requirements and vaccination requirements for those performances," Azuma said. "Now, we're kind of opening things up, as the rest of the world kind of starts to open up, tentatively."

Performances at the NextStop Theatre are now running at full capacity, according to Azuma.

Once "A Midsummer Night's Dream" wraps on Sunday, NextStop will be head back to Herndon to work on its next production, "Lucky Stiff," which Azuma described as "a big, flashy, fun musical."

Written by Lynn Aherns and Stephen Flaherty, "Lucky Stiff" tells the story Harry Witherspoon, an unassuming shoe salesman whose boring life gets turned around when his uncle dies and leaves him a fortune. There's just one catch, of course, and that's where the comedy comes in.

"Lucky Stiff" runs from May 19-June 12, at the NextStop Theatre, located at 269 Sunset Park Drive in Herndon. Performances are 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Information about tickets and show times are available online.