As intended for Live Design magazine, herein diverted...The Public Theater's "summer of love" outdoors at the Delacorte, which brought audiences the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in June, continues through Sunday with the Shakespeare that is in some ways its opposite, the lighthearted A Midsummer Night's Dream. The differences extend to the design of the shows. Romeo was dominated by Mark Wendland's bridge-and-water design, a brooding, introspective landscape darkly illuminated by Don Holder. Here set designer Eugene Lee has put in place a single, enormous tree with several large branches, a sturdy structure on which much of the cast comes to frolic when the show moves into the woods. The tree, dead but buzzing with activity, is enticingly lit by Michael Chybowski, who emphasizes sunshine and warmth when those qualities are called for. Romeo deemphasized the natural beauty of the Delacorte's setting; the LD turns the lights up high on the trees that surround the theater for the climax of Midsummer, a more-than-satisfying closing guaranteed for uplift.
The enchantments, fortunately, start well before then. A Midsummer Night's Dream without a little stage magic goes nowhere, and director Daniel Sullivan has a bag of tricks ready. Much of the magic is supplied by the performers. Martha Plimpton, who continues to grow as a stage actress, is delightful as Helena, whose lovesickness for Demetrius (Elliot Villar) spurs the convoluted plotline, which absorbs the dimwitted acting troupe the "Rude Mechanicals" and an assortment of fairy spirits whose own romantic agendas dovetail with those of the humans. There are no weak links in the cast, but a few of my favorites are the always commanding Keith David as the fairy king Oberon; an alluring Laila Robins as his queen, Titania; Tim Blake Nelson as Rude Mechanicals leader Peter Quince and Jesse Tyler Ferguson as troupe member Francis Flute, who is reluctantly drafted to don drag as Thisbe in the play-within-a-play that ends the piece. Best of all is Jay O. Sanders, who is delightful as the egocentric Nick Bottom, Flute's lovelorn Pyramus. His rollicking performance triggers laughs well before the machinations of Puck (Jon Michael Hill) transform him into a braying ass who steals the bewitched Titania's heart.
A Midsummer Night's Dream is the kind of a show that a costume designer can capitalize on, and Ann Hould-Ward runs with the assignment. Here Athens is more like Victorian England, at least where the Athenians are concerned, with more proper costuming approximating that era. The Rude Mechanicals are suitably rundown in appearance. The fairy spirits (including several children) have been given a magic show look, emphasizing silky, spangled blacks and on the men silvery facepaint. (Robins, slipped into a form-hugging black camisole and a flowing wig of red hair by designer David Lawrence to complement her own, makes a particularly drop-dead impression.) Lighting effects, some handheld by the performers, accentuate the transition into fairyland.
A two-fold impression is made by the sound. Dan Moses Schreier has concentrated his efforts on an enveloping score, rapturously delivered by Acme Sound Partners, who were carried over from Romeo. Moreover there are beautifully reproduced sound effects, I would say the best I have ever heard in all my years attending Delacorte performances. (The audio was provided by Masque Sound, the lighting by Altman Rentals and PRG Lighting, and show control by PRG.) On an iffy night weather-wise the seeming approach of a fierce storm had audience members reaching for the umbrellas. Twas only an illusion, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream well-met by moonlight.
Cast photo by Michal Daniel
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