By: Mikayla Boyd, Assistant Opinion Editor
On Saturday, Oct. 12, your favorite Opinion Editor and I attended Little Theatre’s rendition of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Eileen Dugan. The production was held in Little Theatre’s new black box theater on the second floor of the Richard Winter Student Center.
The black box theater came as a result of the Marie Maday Theater’s destruction in the flood that ruined Lyons Hall. While this theater is a step in the right direction for finding a home for the oldest and one of the most loved clubs on campus, the club deserves more. You couldn’t help but notice how stuffy and hot it became in the room that wanted any tincture of air circulation, which became distracting from the lovely show that members were putting on. I am so glad that Little Theatre has gotten a dedicated space to put on its consistently stellar performances – I simply wish they were given a space more conducive for performances, for the audience of course, but more importantly, the cast members.
Nonetheless, the show went on, and it was a great show indeed. Shakepearean comedies tend to end with marriage and the perpetuation of humanity, instead of the despair seen in plays like Romeo & Juliet or Hamlet. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy. Unlike tragedies, whose cast dwindles as the play progresses to portray the protagonist’s isolation, this Shakespearean comedy cast grows to an impressive 22 by Act V. Courtney and I were especially impressed by Canisius’ very own director of Student Engagement and Leadership Development, Jason Francey, beginning the play as Theseus.
Shakespeare’s works are known for being a more challenging format to ace for actors and audiences alike. This is due to the language and nature of plays and complex writing style. Little Theatre members flawlessly executed iambic pentameter and complicated language – and made it captivating to their audience. Modern audiences have to rely on body language and staging to compensate for Shakespeare’s often-confusing Early Modern English and the actors’ execution of Dugan’s directorial choices to convey the narrative – it was done exquisitely.
Standout performances were made by Ryan Harrington, who played Robin Puck; Dominic Vivolo, who played Bottom; and Amanda Ostroke, who played Titania. Robin Puck was a bubbly, hilarious and mischievous fairy who pranced around and caused comedic chaos. His mix-ups – sometimes mistakes and sometimes intentional – moved the plot of the play along. Puck’s most prominent act was when him and Oberon sprinkled a love potion in Titania’s eyes, causing her to fall in love with Bottom, who at the time had the head of a donkey. Ryan’s infectious laugh and his quippy delivery of Puck’s lines made it impossible not to chuckle. His air saxophone skills were of jazz band caliber.
Bottom was the character who got his head turned into a donkey’s head by Puck. Though it was sometimes difficult to decipher his lines through his – albeit, well-crafted –donkey mask, most of his witty lines came through perfectly. He was the comedic relief that brought the play to life, among other actors like Puck and Titania. Titania had a lovely performance as the Queen of the Fairies, although she was manipulated by Puck’s love potion. Titania portrayed a high-maintenance queen that, honestly, needed a bit of humbling.
I would be remiss if I did not mention Michael Dobrasz as Oberon and his luscious locks (brunette wig). I wasn't too sure of the purpose of the wig, but I must admit it was very funny.
Overall, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was a captivating Little Theatre performance, per usual. Once again the club has done a great job with props, stage management, memorization and all the other incredibly important aspects of a production. It was a pleasure to attend.
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