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Regional Reviews: St. Louis A Midsummer Night's Dream Also see Richard's review of And Then There Were None
And, by the way, I'd gladly pay for a back-stage pass during any performance—young lovers and forest fairies go racing up through the audience, only to reappear minutes (or even just seconds) later, in entirely different costumes, at entirely different locations in the large main-stage theater. In those few moments where I lost focus on the 500 year old verse, it was still thrilling to think of actors racing back across the construction shop and through the back ways and out again, hurtling like cannonballs toward their next entrance. It's one of many good choices by director Paul Mason Barnes that adds a madcap dimension to Shakespeare's play about all kinds of great romantic mix-ups. But you can keep that backstage pass, because what goes on out in front is plenty good enough. Caroline Amos is bright and charming and independent as Hermia, struggling to get out of an arranged marriage (to the utterly bereft Andy Rindlisbach as a lovelorn Demetrius). And Gracyn Mix adds delicate layers of sweet and funny meaning and intention as Helena, rejected in her love for that same young man. Jeffrey Omura completes the foursome as a handsome Lysander, and he's just as feisty as his forbidden love Hermia. Rebecca Watson has magnificent gusto as Titania, the queen of the fairies, and Alvin Keith is commanding as her frustrated king Oberon. Jim Poulos makes Oberon's servant Puck both intelligent and fierce in arranging all the mayhem, even when he gets things hopelessly mixed up. Michael James Reed is a great, down-to-earth theatrical diva as Bottom, and Bob Walton finds unexpected laughs in his narration as Peter Quince, during a command performance played out by the local craftsmen. Carl Howell does well as one of those rustics, full of subtle, forlorn exasperation, at being forced into a drag performance. And Adam Lendermon is funny as the tailor in the same group—with a nice cartwheel elsewhere, when he and his fellow "performers" are double-cast. (Of course, the rustics are all "triple-cast," if you count their roles in the absurd playlet Pyramus and Thisby.) And each of their characterizations is strong and charming. Great double-casting at all levels here, including the roles of the duke and his betrothed, the queen of the Amazons, with Mr. Keith and Ms. Watson utterly different from their god-like roles in the forest, but still imposing, wise and just. Ms. Watson, in her other role (as the Amazonian leader) resembles a more lovely Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. A dream-like dance wraps everything up at the end and, though you might think that sounds like one 500 year old touch too many, it's really unexpectedly hypnotic and lovely, thanks to choreographer Matt Williams. The forest trees are splendid, glinting with thousands of color-changing LED bulbs, like bioluminescent lichen (calling to mind the recent movie Avatar). They beautifully tint each of the moods of a very peculiar night as needed. Even the original music and hushed forest sound are lush, completing the romantic atmosphere. It's a fully imagined show that wraps you up both gently and completely. Through November 5, 2014, at the Virginia Jackson Browning theater, in the Loretto-Hilton building on the campus of Webster University (130 Eager Rd.). For show times and more information visit www.repstl.org or call (314) 968-4925. The Players (in speaking order) Crew
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