In Pictures: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By David F. Rooney

Last Friday’s performance of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was an excellent production with a cast that included local children and professional actors from Theatre Prospero in Edmonton.

Theatre-goers thought it was an excellent production and the buffoonery and physical comedy in the second half of the play provoked a lot of laughter from an audience of 160 people. There were very few instances of forgotten lines — I counted only three prompts — and those young people with speaking roles were quite good.

“I really, really enjoyed it and I took a lot of pictures of my daughter (Holly Hamilton),” said Rich Hamilton after the play.

Leslie and David Savage, there to see their grandson Thomas MacDonald play one of the Puck characters, were delighted with the show.

“We throughly enjoyed it and Thomas had a lot of fun,” Leslie said.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and Hippolyta. These include the adventures of 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, categorized as a comedy, is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works for the stage and, according to Wikipedia is widely performed across the world. (Please click here to read more about this play.)

Edmonton-based Theatre Prospero has for years staged Shakespearean plays involving children in small towns across Alberta. This is the first time they have produced a play in Revelstoke.

Professional actors Miranda Allen, Cliff Kelly, Sarina Sorensen, Kerry Johnson, Calvin Malaka and Mark Henderson conducted acting workshops this week, assisted by the Revelstoke Theatre Company’s Anita Hallewas and Martin Ralph, for the local children who enrolled in this program.

“That’s an excellent program,” said Alan Chell, who is no slouch when it comes to producing plays himself.

The local kids involved in this production are: Andie Reynolds, Jamie Reynolds, Maxine OIpatril, Miranda Cound, Taylor Cound, Lauryn Kline, Hailey Christie-Hoyle, Gillian Anne McTagga, Thomas MacDonald, Isobel Bray, Frankie Howe, Grayson Noseworthy, Holly Hamilton, Freyja Nielsen, Erin Behncke, Isabel Federico, Crystal Federica, Marrisa Brunetti, Carrie Brunetti, Courtney Atkinson, Sandi Atkinson, Avery Matson, Kim Irwin and Hailey Callaghan.

The professional actors had fun working with the kids and appreciated the way they responded to the five days of acting workshops that led to this production. And that pleased professional actress Miranda Allen. An RSS graduate, Miranda convinced her colleagues that Revelstoke would be a responsive and supportive community for the play.

Certainly, I enjoyed the play as much as anyone, though I saw most of it through my camera. I shot 283 photos and winnowed them down to 16 images that I liked the best. Here they are for your viewing pleasure:

A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of William Shakespeare's most popular comedies, was performed in Revelstoke by actors from Edmonton's Theatre Prospero and eager children from Revelstoke. It combines the tangled love lives of five mortals who fall afoul of fairies in the forest. Here Lysander (played by Grayson Noseworthy) watches as Hermia (played by Hailey Christie-Hoyle) talks with Helena (played byTaylor Cound). David F. Rooney photo
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of William Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, was performed in Revelstoke by actors from Edmonton’s Theatre Prospero and eager children from Revelstoke. It combines the tangled love lives of five mortals who fall afoul of fairies in the forest. Here Lysander (played by Grayson Noseworthy) watches as Hermia (played by Hailey Christie-Hoyle) talks with Helena (played byTaylor Cound). David F. Rooney photo
The set for A Midsummer Night's Dream was very, very simple and some members of the audience were actually seated onstage. Lights and shadows were used to create the mood for this comedy. David F. Rooney photo
The set for A Midsummer Night’s Dream was very, very simple and some members of the audience were actually seated onstage. Lights and shadows were used to create the mood for this comedy. David F. Rooney photo
Puck — the mischievous fairy that does the bidding of Oberon, King of the Fairies. Many of the children filled two or more roles. David F. Rooney photo
Puck — the mischievous fairy that does the bidding of Oberon, King of the Fairies. Many of the children filled two or more roles. David F. Rooney photo
More Pucks. All told there were four children playing in the Puck roles. David F. Rooney photo
More Pucks. All told there were four children playing in the Puck roles. David F. Rooney photo
Mark Henderson, one of the professional actors from Theatre Prospero, played the Fairy king, Oberon, and Gillian Anne McTaggart played his wife, Titania.   David F. Rooney photo
Mark Henderson, one of the professional actors from Theatre Prospero, played the Fairy king, Oberon, and Gillian Anne McTaggart played his wife, Titania. David F. Rooney photo
Oberon and Titania argue as her fairy maids watch. David F. Rooney photo
Oberon and Titania argue as her fairy maids watch. David F. Rooney photo
These young girls were adorable little fairies. David F. Rooney photo
These young girls were adorable little fairies. David F. Rooney photo
The young fairies dance as Titania sleeps in the forest. David F. Rooney photo
The young fairies dance as Titania sleeps in the forest. David F. Rooney photo
Lysander (Grayson Noseworthy) declares his love for the fair Hermia (played in this scene by Erin Behncke) and Titania sleeps, unnoticed behind them in the forest. David F. Rooney photo
Lysander (Grayson Noseworthy) declares his love for the fair Hermia (played in this scene by Erin Behncke) and Titania sleeps, unnoticed behind them in the forest. David F. Rooney photo
Titania (acting under a spell) falls madly in love with itinerant actor Bottom (who himself was was turned into a half-man/half-donkey creature) by Oberon's minions. David F. Rooney photo
Titania (acting under a spell) falls madly in love with itinerant actor Bottom (who himself was was turned into a half-man/half-donkey creature) by Oberon’s minions. David F. Rooney photo
Titania sends her fairy maids to take Bottom by the hand lead him to her bower. David F. Rooney photo
Titania sends her fairy maids to take Bottom by the hand lead him to her bower. David F. Rooney photo
The mischievous fairies have played a trick on the four lovers, Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia and Helena. Turning their affections topsy-turvey. David F. Rooney photo
The mischievous fairies have played a trick on the four lovers, Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia and Helena. Turning their affections topsy-turvey. David F. Rooney photo
However, eventually all is put right by Oberon. David F. Rooney photo
However, eventually all is put right by Oberon. David F. Rooney photo
In the final act of the play the itinerant actors arrive at the court of Theseus, Duke of Athens, and his paramour, Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, where they stage a very, very funny play of their own. David F. Rooney photo
In the final act of the play the itinerant actors arrive at the court of Theseus, Duke of Athens, and his paramour, Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, where they stage a very, very funny play of their own. David F. Rooney photo
The cast come out to enjoy the applause of the audience, which numbered somewhere close to 200. David F. Rooney photo
The cast come out to enjoy the applause of the audience, which numbered 160. David F. Rooney photo
After the play actors and actresses of all ages lined up for pieces of a delicious Modern Bakery cake — handed out by volunteer Janet Pearson — and special commemorative posters handed out by Performinbg Arts Centre Manager Miriam Manley. David F. Rooney photo
After the play actors and actresses of all ages lined up for pieces of a delicious Modern Bakery cake — handed out by volunteer Janet Pearson — and special commemorative posters handed out by Performinbg Arts Centre Manager Miriam Manley. David F. Rooney photo