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After an amazing start to the semester with “Barefoot in the Park,” the Hofstra Drama Department continued its tradition of theatrical excellence with a production of the beloved Shakespeare comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The show performed for two weekends, from Friday, Oct. 9 to Sunday, Oct. 18. “Midsummer” follows three groups of characters: the lovers, the fairies and the band of bumbling mechanicals. After Hermia’s father, Egeus, forbids her from marrying her beloved Lysander and gets King Theseus, who is preparing for his own wedding, entangled in the situation, fairy king Oberon enlists his servant Puck to remedy the situation with magical love potions. Puck’s antics lead to many mishaps and much misfortune for the characters until the lovers’ quarrel is eventually resolved and the mechanicals perform an amateurish play for Theseus’ wedding.
Staging a work by the great Shakespeare is no small task, but the cast and production team pulled off a performance unlike any other. Rather than performing indoors, the creative team decided to stage the show outside of the Spiegel Theater, with audience members immersed in the action of the play. The actors wove through the audience and around the Spiegel to enhance the active nature of the show, using multiple areas around the theater as entrances and exits. Like the department’s last show, “Barefoot in the Park,” actors and audience members had to wear masks at all times, and seating was socially distanced.
Hofstra’s “Midsummer” was directed by Ilona Pierce had a cast of 16 actors, with some playing two roles in the show. The lovers and the nobles they struggle against were played by seniors Josh Fenster (Theseus/Oberon), Erica Fletcher (Hippolyta/Titania), Chris Ho (Egeus/Moth) and Ava Grace (Hermia); junior Olivia Keena-Ross (Helena); and sophomores Michael Koellner (Demetrius) and Jonny Grimes (Lysander). Pulling double duty in a Shakespearean comedy is a challenge for even the most accomplished actors, but Fenster, Fletcher and Ho masterfully distinguished between their two characters. Grace and Keena-Ross’ performances highlighted the department’s talent, while Koellner and Grimes proved a bright future is in store for later productions.
The mechanicals were the main source of comedy for the show and had audiences laughing night after night. Seniors Katie Pericak (Peter Quince), Ali Estey (Robin Starveling) and Nicolette O’Keefe (Snug) were joined by juniors Andrew Dutile (Francis Flute) and Anna Lettera (Tom Snout), along with sophomore Dominic Galiotto (Nick Bottom). Though intentionally poor acting is often a challenge for actors, the mechanicals held their own, as their play-within-a-play rendition of “Pyramus and Thisbe” was laughable in the best way.
Rounding out the cast were the fairies, with Fenster and Fletcher returning as Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies. Seniors Ho (Moth) and Ellie Creedon (Puck) were joined by juniors Gianna DiReda (Peaseblossom) and Nicole Cullen (Mustardseed) in playing the magical woodland fairies who stir up trouble between the lovers. Creedon’s performance as the impish and wily Puck added a layer of wonder to the show, keeping the audience pondering what tricks she would try next to help Oberon’s plans. Creedon also choreographed the dance scenes throughout the show.
Most plays are performed indoors for a reason: The weather, lighting and sound quality are not easily controlled outdoors. With the addition of masks and social distancing guidelines, the cast had to work extra hard to overcome these barriers. “The mask was definitely a barrier at first,” Dutile said. “but you do get used to talking in it, and it ended up being a great accessory, even complementing the comedy of the show.” To combat the difficulty of wearing masks, every actor was given a body microphone to wear so that the audience could hear them clearly.
If you have missed both of Hofstra Drama’s productions so far, fear not. The last production of the fall semester will be “This Mortal Coil,” a film noir version of “Hamlet” directed by Jennifer Hart, with a screening time to be announced.
