Was that a dream?
If you leave it up to Julia Rippka (Puck), the delightfully mischievous knave in William Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, you might not know if the play is real or not.
But spoiler alert: it’s real and it’s a fantastical look at the universal problems of love – a perfect Valentine’s Day story.
Directed by Rachel Lutz, the classic Shakespearean comedy produced by the Pennsylvania Youth Theatre ran Feb. 14 and 15 at the Charles A. Brown Historic Icehouse in Bethlehem, PA.
Set in ancient Athens, the play mixes Greek mythology nicely with Elizabethan England’s light- hearted look at love.
Cloe Wolf (Hermia) adds a flair for humor as Hermia who has a magic potent-induced love interest in Georgia McKeown (Lysander). She also shines as the tinker, Tom Snout who, in turn, plays Wall in a hilarious sketch.
McKeown is terrific as Lysander and also as Francis Flute in the woodland troupe of amateur thespians.
Kai Lemmons is outstanding as love-stricken Demetrious and as Robin Starveling where he also shows his considerable thespian skills as Moonshine.
Sloan Bubser (Helena) is charming as her love for Demetrious is frustrated by his love for another girl. Bubser gets a lot of laughs when she becomes Snug who plays Lion.
Julia Rippke (Robin Goodfellow, then Puck) sparkles in the role of mischievous sprite for King of the Fairies Oberon. Puck’s impish behavior keeps the dream scenes moving. Rippke also plays Philostrate, King Theseus’ Master of Revels.
Haldon Kerzner’s roles as first, King Theseus in Athens, then King Oberon King of the Fairies is superlative.
Zoe Burns shows royal elegance as both Amazon Queen Hippolyta in Athens and then Queen Titania, in the woods. Both are queenly roles, but she makes each distinctive in their own right.
Lachlann Resnikoff is great in Athens as Hermia’s stern father, Egeous and in the woods as Peter Quince, who tries to direct a play performed by his fellow tradesmen for King Theseus’ wedding.
Summer Strom (Nick Bottom) plays Pyramus in the forest scene play he and his friends and fellow workman are rehearsing. When Nick’s head is magically transformed into a donkey’s long-eared face, pandemonium and fun break out.
Michelle Hendricks is credited as Assistant Director in this well-directred play.
Lighting and Sound Designer was Anthony Forchielli and City Entertainment. The set design was excellen, evoking ancient Greece and bucolic woodland.
Braden Drake served as Light Board Operation and Production Manager.
Kayla Rosado was the Sound Board Operation.
The play showed at the Charles A. Brown Historic Ice House, 56 River St, Bethlehem, PA. Telephone: 610-332-1400.
https://123pyt.org/