A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM by Carol Kaufman Segal

            William Shakespeare’s comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is playing at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood through the holiday season.  The play brings many colorful characters to life, even if in doing so, it can be quite complicated.  It is a romantic fantasy that takes place in a royal court as well as in an enchanted forest.  Let me see if I can explain this so that you can understand the chaos that ensues during this rowdy affair.

            Egeus (Chris Winfield) has arranged for his daughter Hermia (Hartley Powers) to marry Demetrius (Doren Sorrel).  But Hermia refuses because she is in love with Lysander (Mikel Parraga-Wills).  Hermia’s friend Helena (Anna Gion) loves Demetrius, but he wants no part of her.  Theseus (Doug Haverty), the Duke, is to marry Hippolyta, former Queen of the Amazons (Silke Sorenson).

            Egeus shows up at the Duke’s court and, according to an ancient Greek law, states that Hermia must marry Demetrius or face death.  Or - Theseus gives her another alternative; she can spend the rest of her life as a nun.  After hearing these two options, the two lovers run away followed by Demetrius and Helena, and they end up in the enchanted forest.

            The forest is inhabited by fairies that control and manipulate anyone in their woods, including a group of six actors.  The fairy king, Oberon (Marc Singer), and queen, Titania (Suzy London), have a quarrel, which induces Oberon to sprinkle fairy dust every which place he can.  Naturally, the dust is magical, and those who get sprinkled fall asleep.  Upon awakening, they fall in love with the first person they see.  Wouldn’t you know it?  Both Lysander and Demetrius are now in love with Helena and poor Hermia is left out in the cold.

            Well, I think everything is getting too complicated for me to further explain it enough for you to understand just what you can figure out for yourself by seeing this very chaotic, charming, and wonderful production performed by a spectacular cast under the direction of Marc Singer.  They all bring this magical fairy tale to life.

            A Midsummer Night’s Dream plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 2 PM, through December 31, at the Lonny Chapman Theatre located at 10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood.  Tickets are available online at www.thegrouprep.com, or info@thegrouprep.com, or reservations can be made by calling (818) 763-5990.

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