A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Hollywood)

Shakespeare on the Deck is back in action and, after their all-female “Macbeth” last year, are now featuring an LGBTQ-focused storyline on everyone’s favorite summer play. 

This isn’t your Grandma’s Shakespeare…but you’ll love it! 

It’s a madcap version of the story, when four runaway lovers go to meet in the Forest outside Athens, boys and girls meet and certainly greet! There is also a gender-defying dispute among the Fairies who protect the forest, and, best of all, a bunch of hard working women rehearse and present the hilarious tragedy ‘Pyramus & Thisbe.” 

Amongst these groups runs a mischievous Puck (Sarah Hinchcliff), armed with a love potion capable of making anyone fall for the first person they set eyes upon. What could go wrong? 

With dark green, cut silk, in the shape of tree branches hanging from the ceiling, contemporary costumes – Titania (Craig Gibson) in a beautiful silk kimono; bright colored chiffons and tights for the Fairies, and denim cut offs or ripped jeans for the motley crew –  it came alive. Director/adapter Mikey Mulhearn ignites the rowdy spirit of 1605 in this naughty, tender, and transgressive piece, with the audience very much included in the action. 

His company of players are youthful, eloquent and very agile, every word well paced and spoken clearly, and it’s a delight to see this work brought to life in clever “gender neutral” roles. 

At the Kimpton Everly Hotel, 1800 Yucca Avenue, Hollywood. For info on their next production email: https://www.shakesonthedeck.com/

 Review by Tricia Stubbs