Tonight, Otterbein Theatre and Dance Department performs Shakespeare for the first time in 16 years in Cowan Hall with its production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
This comedy, estimated to be written between 1594 and 1595 has captured the imagination of the audience and actors alike. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” tells the story of how magic interrupts young love.
Junior acting major David Graves, who plays Demetrius and sophomore musical theater major Sam Bryant, who plays Snug, both say the audience can expect to laugh and relate to their characters’ struggles toward love.
“You’re going to have a blast,” says Graves. “I think that overall, everyone just wants this to be a celebration, just of like having Shakespeare on mainstage, and really just having fun with it.”
The performers say that this performance still has the elements of a dreamlike fairytale, but it is modernized for an audience of today.
“I love when Shakespeare is taken in modern ways and changed, cause like, it’s not a holy relic, which is something our director has said,” says Bryant. “I like the modern kind of take we have on it while still it feeling like a fairy tale.”
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" can be considered more of a comedy, compared to the morality plays and musicals of last semester like "Cabaret" and "Everybody."
Otterbein’s production of “A Midnight Summer Night’s Dream” performs all the way through February 17, and students and faculty can get free tickets by emailing the box office.
