Under the protection of the dark shadows of the trees, mischief and love occur. And so goes William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," directed by Mark Lamos and produced by The Shakespeare Theatre of Washington. In classic Shakespearean style, the play concerns the plight of lovers.
In this case, there are three pairs of lovers - each confounded with its own comedic afflictions. First there is the unrequited love of Helena to Demetrius, who happens to be the chosen suitor for Hermia, who has fallen deeply in love with Lysander, who kindly reciprocates her feelings for him, but is not deemed worthy by Helena's father. Whew, follow that?
So, Theseus the Duke of Athens, orders Hermia to marry Demetrius. But the Duke is involved in a prenuptial spat of his own with Hippolyta. They clash over the care of a "Changeling Child," a human baby stolen from his crib by the fairies, and cannot be bothered with the youngsters for very long. Left alone to their own devices, Hermia and Lysander run off after nightfall and elope in the woods outside the borders of Athenian rule. Hermia confides this to Helena, and a jealous Helena tells Demetrius in a vain attempt to win his esteem. The foursome ends up in the woods beneath the moonlight.
Meanwhile, a group of six oddball Athenian tradesmen trample into the woods to practice a drama they intend to perform as the Duke's wedding entertainment. And entertaining they certainly are, providing a great deal of comedy.
As the drama troupe and the two sets of lovers wander tired and muddy, a mischievous fairy world led by the famous character Puck awakes. Like in Athens, the fairy world is ruled by King Oberon and Queen Titania, whose lovers' quarrel also involves the changeling child. This child is the thread that weaves the two worlds together. Act One opens with the pajama-clad boy playing with his shadow on a wall. Twirling fairies accompany him until he is taken away from them with the abruptness of the lights turned on.
By the final scene, it becomes clear that the changeling boy, alone, is conscious of both worlds simultaneously. Shakespeare blurs the lines of reality even more, when it is revealed to the audience that the entire production is false. Where once the worlds were uniquely separate - one real, one fiction - in the end the lines aren't so divisive.
The play's Athenian costumes are reminiscent of the 1920s. The men wear the insignia of Athens on their lapels, and Helena and Hermia wear slip-dresses in garish green and a pink reminiscent of Pepto-Bismol. The bright colors and clean, creamy white of the Athenian-world strike boldly against the earthy browns and grays of the fairy-world. The fairies' costumes are incredibly un-glittery and seem to be made of thrift store leftovers, mismatched and slightly tattered, but artistically combined.
The cast's flying and acrobatic stunts provide all the glitz needed to make the fairies the best part about the play. King Oberon and Queen Titania are truly a spectacle not to be missed. They stand 12 feet tall, both in skirts that grace the floor as they move across the stage.
The set is as magnificent as the fairies' garb, complete with tall spindly trees, a watering hole and a constant glowing moon. The woods truly appear thick and magical, the undergrowth dense and untouched by the sunlight. The beautiful choreography and set design combined with copious amounts of ridiculousness make "A Midsummer Night's Dream" enjoyable and easy to follow.
The acting was superb and did not have the rigidity and confusion some Shakespearean productions can have. The four young lovers, Puck (Daniel Breaker) and the weaver, Nick Bottom (David Sabin) were especially energetic and entertaining performers. Regulars in The Shakespeare Theatre's productions, they had the audience roaring with laughter. Demetrius (Paul Whitthorne) and Lysander (Paris Remillard) were also a hit as they are stripped to their underwear and soaked in water in a fight over the love of Hermia (Noel True) and Helena (Kate Nowlin).
But of course, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a comedy, and no Shakespearean comedy is complete without its slapstick humor and a wedding - or three - in the end.
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" runs through Jan. 4. Regular-priced tickets range from $16 to $66. Discount student tickets are also available. The theater is two blocks from the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro. See the Web site for full details at shakespearetheatre.org.
