'Midsummer' Players Cast A Magical, Merry Spell

Wondrous Set Adds To Fine Production

The Port Tobacco Players have created a fantastical and energetic production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." (By Toni L. Sandys -- The Washington Post)

Regardless of whether you're a fan of the Bard, you'll probably enjoy the latest production traipsing across the stage in La Plata. Under the direction of Jim Kleyle, the Port Tobacco Players have staged a fanciful evening of fairies and fun, sprinkled with far-out fantasy.

One of William Shakespeare's earliest comedies, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" takes the audience through the trials and tribulations of two young couples, Lysander and Hermia and Helena and Demetrius.

Both Lysander and Demetrius are in love with Hermia, who returns Lysander's affection. But her father wants her to marry Demetrius. Meanwhile, Helena is head over heels for Demetrius, who couldn't care less for her.

Meddling Oberon, the king of the fairies, steps in to settle things between the would-be lovers while casting a spell over his fairy queen, Titania. If that's not enough to keep track of, there's yet another subplot regarding the Mechanicals, a crew of bumbling laborers that plans to perform a play for the nuptials of the Duke of Athens. The show is filled with love and laughter, mischief and matrimony, and a whole lot of magic spells.

There are many good performances, most notably Jeff Paden as Puck, the impish fairy who orchestrates most of the tomfoolery among the characters. His line delivery is easy to understand despite the challenges of Shakespeare's text. He is delightfully funny without being over the top, which would be easy to do with this role.

Most of the cast works hard to make the lines understandable to audience members not familiar with Shakespeare's style. Andrew J. Patrick as Nick Bottom is among those who do a nice job of this. His role requires broad overacting, and Patrick delivers. As Demetrius, Kyle Tusing gives a decent performance and is easy to understand, as is David Timmerman as Lysander. Amy Victoria Parochetti plays Titania with appropriate grace. As Oberon, Rob Piper provides a commanding presence.

The two main female love interests don't fare as well in being understood. As the young lovers Helena and Hermia, Diana Ekelman and Rachel Nutter, respectively, rush their speech. Too often their quick delivery, coupled with the cadence of Shakespeare's style, forces the audience to strain to make out what they're saying. It's a shame, because both are central to the action. But what they lack in diction, they make up for in energy. A series of well-choreographed fights among the four lovers provides great entertainment, and Nutter's imitation of a boxer preparing for a showdown is especially amusing.

A couple of smaller parts stand out. As Snug, Kiefer Zickafoose is great fun, and Christine Colonna has terrific timing as Philostrate. Michael J. Margelos's version of Francis Flute is a bit over the top at some points but is funny on the whole.

The catch with having so many characters onstage at once is keeping attention on the action at hand while not diverting audience focus, which happens at times. There are several instances in which movement and activity in the background detract from the main action.

Although some of the acting is a bit uneven, the set is amazing. John Merritt, who has garnered many awards for set design, has outdone himself in creating a fantastical forest. The set has 13 entrances, and the actors make use of every one, as well as the many levels, nooks and crannies. It's fascinating to watch the fairies fade into the background and seem to become part of the set. Replete with a working waterfall and what appear to be full-size, real trees, the set is truly a work of art. Subtle lighting by Leslie Wanko helps to underscore the enchantment.

Director Jim Kleyle has updated some aspects of the play. It's not often we hear the theme music to the '70s television show "Sanford and Son" sprinkled in with Shakespeare. The mix of period costumes for some characters and contemporary clothing for others may not work as well as Kleyle might have hoped, but it is an interesting approach nonetheless. Some wardrobe malfunctions occurred on opening night as the young lovers engaged in multiple wrestling matches, accidentally exposing a bit more skin than you might expect in a community theater production.

Kleyle also dons the hat of sound designer and includes several pieces of music from recent eras. Choreographer Brooke L. Howells has the fairies flitting about the stage in a dreamy, sometimes sexy, manner. The dancing is a nice addition, but the number and length of songs make this show -- already longer than most contemporary audiences are probably used to -- even longer.

Overall, even if you're not a Shakespearean scholar, you'll be able to follow the action and storyline of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Some excellent performances and a stunning set make it worth your time to check it out.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" runs through May 21. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Performances are at the Port Tobacco Players Theatre, 508 E. Charles St., La Plata. General admission, $15; students and seniors, $12. For more information or reservations, call 301-932-6819.