I just got home from catching Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" put on by Piper Theatre. Performed under the stars (if you squint, you can see them through the ever present glow of New York City) at J.J. Byrne Park in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, my neighborhood, I only have one word for this production: fun.
Even with a cast that included children, this show did not shy from innuendo and even took liberties. Speaking for myself, Titania was simply seductive and the ladies playing Hermia and Helena were fun to watch when they were allowed to go to the edge. The players were also fun to watch reminding me of 1930's screwball comedies. I was a little puzzled at first with the ongoing undressing of Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, and Helen as their evening played out in the forest and yet it made sense - I will not attempt to put in to words my theory, but if you happen to be in town and wish to ply me with single-malt Scotch whisky, you can ask me.
The kid who played Puck was pretty good. I particularly enjoyed the sequences of the characters, who when enchanted by Oberon's magic, awoke seeing the objects of their manipulated affection to the opening strains of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On." The cast looked like they were having fun and the audience clearly enjoyed it.
As I said, fun...
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