MONROE — For the first time in nearly 50 years, Monroe Theater Guild is poised to present a Shakespeare play, the popular comedy ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’
Performers and production staff are hard at work on the upcoming show, which has a six-day run, from June 16, June 17, and June 18; and again, the following weekend, June 23, June 24, and June 25.
Tickets went on sale May 17 from the MTG box office and website, and those who want to see the show are urged to get their tickets ahead of time, as they expect plenty of lovers of the arts to take advantage of the chance to experience live theater close to home.
With a married couple as the co-directors — and set, literally, around the longest day of the year, or “midsummer” — the play promises to delight audiences young and old, organizers say.
“It’s the most popular of the plays he wrote,” co-director Stephen Eliasson said. “It’s a lot of fun and a lot of laughs and has plenty to say about relationships.”
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, some inhabitants of Athens mix with whimsical fairies from a local stand of forest. Shakespeare’s imaginative comedy essentially tells a story of four young lovers whose romances become entangled in magical mishaps as they learn what it’s like to be in love and in lust with each other.
“Shakespeare could be bawdy at times, but we’re not trying to go in that direction,” Stephen said. “This is something that everyone can enjoy.”
In the play, four “Athenians” escape to the forest only to have the character Puck, a fairy, make both boys fall in love with the same girl. The four chase around while Puck helps play a trick on the fairy queen. In the end, though, Puck reverses his magic spell, and the two couples reconcile and marry.
“The course of true love never did run smooth,” reads the quotable script.
Meanwhile there is a play within the play, and plenty of trademark Shakespearean dialogue along the journey.
On a recent afternoon, the stage was still in neutral tones, ready to be transformed by paint, props and light into an indoor forest. Kate Eliasson — sitting on a prop tree stump — and her husband spoke about the challenges of directing as a married couple.
They think that the dynamic will have a positive impact on this love story, even if it’s “not so great,” in theory, for their marriage. Still, they expect to endure for the sake of their art and to provide the Monroe audiences with something special. The show promises to be family friendly while maintaining its fidelity to the romantic plot line.
“In the cast, you will see a lot of familiar faces and some brand-new ones,” Kate said. “We have a very talented and diverse cast for this, and it’s just something we can’t wait to show everyone.”
MTG hasn’t done Shakespeare since 1975, when Julius Ceaser was helmed by a visiting British actor. Both co-directors have been in other productions for MTG. For Kate, it is her first turn at directing; and she’s excited to present a story that has many moving parts and actors.
“It’s kind of a like a different version of a modern Romantic Comedy,” she said. “It’s a very physical comedy.”
While the play is new to MTG, it’s not entirely new to the community, as Northside Elementary recently staged their own unique version of the story, the Eliassons said.
Tickets for the production are $25 for adults, $18 for MTG Members; Seniors and student tickets are $16.
