The Marin Shakespeare Company opens its 35th season in the Forest Meadows Amphitheater with a new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
This tale of young lovers and troublesome fairies runs on the campus of Dominican University in San Rafael through July 13.
The production was adapted, directed and choreographed by Bridgette Loriaux and set in 3000 AD. Like some postmodernism, this choice creates a somewhat disjointed show.
There are powerful performances here. Richard Pallaziol’s Quince is unexpectedly endearing. Charisse Lariaux is a strong Hippolyta and a flexible Titania. Jonny Moreno makes the interesting choice to play Oberon and Theseus as almost the same character, which works well to tie the two worlds together.
The set by Nina Ball is a beautiful Art Nouveau wonderland with delicate lines that make it look like a strong wind will tear it apart. It is paired with an almost brutalist Athens, creating an interesting dichotomy between the city and the forest.
And the music (sound design by Ray Archie, original music composition by David Warner) runs the gamut from gothic to modern. While excellent, it doesn’t blend well enough, creating moments that pull the audience out of the show.
Costumes by Bethany Deal Flores are bright and imaginative. Still, as the only element hinting at the hope-punk futurism the director aims for, the costuming is disjointed from the set and story.
There are other odd choices here as well. Loriaux has replaced half of Bottom’s famous “Bottom’s Speech” with sonnets. There are many dance moments that, while beautiful, don’t further the story, and Titania’s skirt is unsettling at best.
Loriaux makes the admirable choice of making Hippolyta and Theseus equals, but allows Oberon to have more power than Titania. It’s an unusual choice considering that the entire plot hinges on Oberon having to trick Titania to get what he wants.
Of course, the real question with any production of Midsummer is, did the audience laugh?
Yes, they did. There are some hilarious moments. This cast has excellent comedic timing, and Steve Price is perfectly cast as the bumbling Bottom.
Overall, however, this production is more hit than miss. If one just wants to grab a glass of wine, a warm blanket and sit back to enjoy a show, this Midsummer is just the ticket.
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ runs Thurs-Sun through July 13 at the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University of California, 890 Belle Ave., San Rafael. Thurs-Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 5pm. $15-$49. 415.388.5208. marinshakespeare.org.
