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(Posted 9:30 p.m., Feb. 28)
Cairine
Wilson Players tackle classic Shakespeare comedy
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
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Demetrius confronts Lysander as Hermia looks
on during the Cairine Wilson Players production
of 'A Midsummer's Night Dream'. Fred Sherwin
Photo
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As
Shakespeare's plays go, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is
one of his most popular works with it's mix of mischevious
fairies, star-crossed lovers and a happy ending.
For those of you whose only exposure to
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" dates back to Grade
10 English Literature class, it's the one with Puck the
fairy, and Bottom, who's briefly turned into a donkey.
Starting
to bring back memories?.
The
Cairine Wilson Players have revised Shakespeare's most
popular comedy for their latest production which runs
until Saturday night.
"A
Midsummer's Night Dream" revolves four young Athenian
lovers and a group of six amateur actors, who are controlled
and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest
in which most of the play is set.
The
play is actually a play within a play. First, you have
the four lovers Hermia, who is in love with Lysander but
is betrothed to Demetrius. Helena who is in love with
Demetrius. Lysander, who is in love with Hermia, and Demetrius,
who is initially in love with Hermia, but later falls
in love with Helena after he's given a potion by Puck.
Meanwhile,
you have a group of labourers turned amateur thespians
who are rehearsing a play for the wedding of Theseus of
Athens and the Amazon queen, Hippolyta. Among them is
Nick Bottom, who the fairy king Oberon turns into an ass
in order to trick his wife Titania into giving up her
servant.
After
seeing how effective the love potion is, Oberon orders
Puck to administer it to Demetrius so that he will fall
in love with Helena and leave Hermia and Lysander to themselves.
This is were things get a little complicated. Instead
of administering the potion to Demetrius, he administers
it to Lysander and the former rebukes Hermia in favour
of Helena.
Upset
over the turn of events, Oberon orders Puck to administer
the potion to Demetrius, so at one point both men are
in love with Helena which causes the duel effect of Helena
thinking the two men are trifling with her, while Hermia
is distraught over the loss of both men to her friend
turned rival.
The
situation is finally set straight when Puck administers
the potion one last time to Lysander who falls back in
love with Hermia and all is right with the world.
The
play ends with Puck suggesting that what the audience
has just witnessed maybe nothing but a dream.
Having
seen a few Shakespearean high school productions in my
day, my biggest pet peeve with them is that the actors
sometimes rush through their lines, leaving their meaning
lost on the audience left straining to hear the words.
And while Thursday night's performance suffered from the
same ailment in places it was limited. By and large the
actors all did an excellent job especially Eden Taylor-Tapp
who plays Puck, and Hailey Stewart who plays Nick Bottom.
The
rest of the cast includes Matt Wiley as Oberon, Emily
Cairns as Titania, Lindsay Romain as Hermia, Thomas Bland
as Lysander, Hannah Witmer as Helena, Jared Hopps as Demetrius,
Max Pettifer as Theseus, Chloe Smith as Hippolyta, Ashley
Griffin as Egeus, Bailee Pedgen as Peter Quince, Aprad
Pihes as Frnacis Flute, Emma Gorle as Snug, Sarah Henderson
as Tom Snout, Lily Mercer as Robin Starveling, Gillian
Forbes as Philostrate. and Jily Butcher as the first fairy.
The
play was directed by Rick Sambell, Set design, costumes
and make up were handled by Emily Cairns, with assistance
from Jessica Rivers. And Matt Wiley wrote all the original
music.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
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