I had not intended to review this play. It was a pleasure just to watch. But.. here we go!
My dear Friend.. Louie Piday is a brilliant woman. She's gorgeous, a fine professor, an actor beyond compare and with her current production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at a modified (thank goodness) Camino Theater on the LA City College Campus, she shows to be a playwright and a truly imaginative director.
The wonderful thing about this show is that even though the kids are relatively new to the language of Shakespeare, Louie's take on the play gives them leave to take it as the comedy that it is and let the recitation work on its own. Culling from Disney versions of Little Golden Books, Professor Piday has sculpted the familiar play with a prologue that reminds of Peter Pan. (In fact, Peter shows up as Puck!) But, in the prologue penned by Professor Piday.. A mom and her don't wanna go to bed daughter get caught up in some Greek mythology and ... voila.. we're off to Athens and Theseus and Hippolita and the whole gang.
As usual, the Rustics steal the show, showing up as the Six Dwarves (Dwarfs?) as they plan their production of Pyramus and Thisbe. Bottom rocks. The others, led by Doc, Peter Quince.. come along and it's wonderful.
These student shows are short lived. The reduction of the Camino Theater to a horseshoe stage with the audience three rows deep is perfect. Hermia's acrobatics are worth the price of admission alone. It took me a while to get Helena's losing her shoe on every exit. Duh.
Show goes up today, Saturday at 2 and 8PM and again next week Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Check this link for more information.
Today, April 24th marks the 400th Anniversary of the death of the Bard. I think he'd like this version of his play. Coincidentally, 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of LACC's first production of Midsummer Night's Dream Head to the Camino and laugh really hard.
michaelsheehan
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