Professional stage presence overshadows technical errors in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Devin Kennamer Staff Writer

Performing words that were written over 500 years ago and making them relevant to a modern audience is no easy task. It takes experience, talent, precision and patience to be successful in carrying out this task.

The Aquila Theatre Company’s cast of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” had no fear in relating these words to the large audience at Norton Auditorium Feb. 8.

The players performed on a simplistic set that never distracted from the movement of the production. A beautiful backdrop enhanced each scene as lighting quickly shifted against it to reflect the mood. Beautiful moments were created on stage with simple effects such as lighting, fog, costuming and enhanced movements by the actors.

Each one of the actors stood out at appropriate points in the play, never pulling too much focus from each other. There were many laugh-out-loud moments echoed by dramatic moments, all of which were enhanced with the costuming, lighting and props.

The costuming changed between classic and modern, and at some points didn’t match the scenery. Many costume changes were made on stage in an artistic, almost choreographed manner that enhanced the feel of the scene.

At times, Shakespeare’s words can be difficult to understand due to their age. One of the actors, Andrew French, from London said, “It’s like giving a 50-year-old rap music. They don’t grasp it at first, but when you tell them that ‘Benjamins’ means ‘money’ they start to get it.” He explained that children often understand the writings of Shakespeare much more rapidly than adults because children are much more open to learning and listening.

One problem that occurred throughout the entire play was an audio buzz coming from the speakers in Norton. This buzz varied in intensity, but proved to be extremely distracting during quieter, more dramatic scenes. The audience often grumbled about not being able to hear some of the quieter dialogue over this buzz. It’s not clear if this technical issue was a UNA problem or an Aquila problem, but if the system at Norton is to blame, the college definitely needs to invest in some upgrades before bringing in a professional Shakespeare company again.