November 16th-19th
Synopsis
Egeus comes before Duke Theseus of Athens with complaint that his daughter, Hermia, is in love with Lysander, and not her betrothed, Demetrius.
Meanwhile, King Oberon of the fairies sends Puck to meddle in the love life of Athenian maid Helena, whose love for Demetrius is unrequited. Puck comes upon Lysander and Hermia, who have run from Athens, attempting to elope. Puck mistakes the enamored couple for the unrequited one, and uses a potion to turn Lysander’s affections to Helena. As the four confused lovers hurry through the woods, Oberon sends Puck after them to amend his mistake.
Puck comes across a group of Mechanicals preparing a play to be performed for Duke Theseus, on his wedding day to Hippolyta. The Mechanicals are rehearsing near Queen Titania’s lounge, where she is sleeping, and placed under the love potion by her husband, Oberon. Puck transforms the most boisterous of the Mechanicals, Bottom, into a donkey, who wakes Titania, and triggers the effects of the love potion.
The four lovers continue on in their conflict. Demetrius, now having been placed under the love potion by Puck, vies for Helena’s attention against Lysander. Helena and Hermia turn against one another, both believing themselves to be mocked by the other. Demetrius and Lysander fight to prove their love to Helena greater than the other’s, going off into the woods. There, Puck leads the two men, and later the women, through a fog, where they grow confused and tired. Puck releases Lysander from the spell, but leaves Demetrius in love with Helena.
Oberon comes upon Titania resting beside Bottom, and feels remorse. He releases her from her love bond, and asks Puck to transform Bottom to his human original state.
Theseus and Egeus come across the sleeping lovers, and seeing the change in Demetrius’s feelings towards Helena, and the steadfast love of Hermia and Lysander, allow the two couples to wed. The Mechanicals perform the play of “Pyramus and Thisbe” before Theseus for his wedding celebration, and all is mended.
Cast List
The Court
Theseus – Maya Pasternack
Hippolyta – Diana Moradi
Egeus – Elijah Warriner
Philostrate – Juliet Woolard
The Lovers
Lysander – Cameron Parker
Demetrius – Sam Bailey
Hermia – Ava Marcus
Helena – Elizabeth Clancy
The Fairies
Oberon – Dashiel Albright
Titania – Lucy San Chirico
Puck/Robin Goodfellow – Pearl McShane
Peaseblossom – Lillian Klatte
Cobweb – Fionnuala McCann
Moth – Elizabeth Deneen
Mustardseed – Casey Everson
Crocus – Maya Yotam
The Mechanicals
Nick Bottom – Jack McCullough
Petra Quince – Ally Fenton
Francis Flute – Hayden Picker
Tom Snout – Maja Mozdzer
Snug – Henry Yearley
Robin Starveling – Lucas Nelson
Reviews
Thank you to the Cappies critics who came and reviewed HTC’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream! The following two reviews were published first and second on the Cappies Website.
“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” Harriton High School’s incredible production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will keep you entertained and laughing right to the very end with its detailed set, hilarious actors, and brilliant music.
From the mind of William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream tells the tale of two fairies’ rivalry and their effects involving drama between two sets of lovers and the performance between a group of actors. The various subplots have their own respectable twists and turns which interact with each other throughout the play.
The two sets of lovers, Demetrius (Sam Bailey) and Helena (Elizabeth Clancy), and Lysander (Cameron Parker) and Hermia (Ava Marcus), gathered many laughs from the audience as their dynamic was absolutely hilarious. Bailey and Parker got many laughs from the audience with their mannerisms and facial expressions that truly brought the characters to life. Marcus and Clancy brought with them dramatic delivery of lines which really helped the audience connect with each of their characters’ plights.
The entire cast did an outstanding job bringing the production to life! The Mechanicals really stuck out with their presence during their play. Nick Bottom (Jack McCullough) and Petra Quince (Ally Fenton) especially had the audience chuckling whenever they were on stage – McCullough with his comedic timing and Fenton with her humorous and animated movements! The fairies also did an exceptionally nice job with their choreographed song and dance!
The set, orchestra, costumes, and sound cues were absolutely fabulous. The intricate details with the branches on the ceiling were a sight to take in. The trees and rock on the stage were also superbly detailed as well. The best part had to be the turf paving the way to the stage and the seats. Those elements along with the colorful lighting combined to create a wonderful enchanted forest atmosphere. The orchestra also set the scene of a magical forest with its many different arrays of instruments. The costumes also added to this illusion with collared shirts, tunics, and beautiful dresses. The sound cues were also fantastic. Particularly, the drops played when the love potion was placed into someone’s eyes which were always perfectly timed.
Harriton High School’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was a delightful, impressive, and stunning show that kept the audience hooked from the very beginning!
Reid Lawler – Episcopal Academy
No magical flower is needed to fall in love with Harriton Theater Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Four lovers. Three subplots. Two royal fairies. One eccentric donkey man and his gaggle of actors. What is there to explain? Written by the glorious Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream has everything to be expected from a Shakespearean production: chaos, love, and a few questionable innuendos. It is a horrible case of Cupid gone wrong, tied with a very striking performance from Athens’ worst acting troupe to add in just a bit more madness.
Performed inside an intimate black box theater, the Harriton Cast mastered how to play to their surroundings, filling the room with beautiful facials and nuanced movements.
During her time in the forest, Helena, played by Elizabeth Clancy, truly embodied the insecure maiden at her wit’s end. Instead of being inhibited by wordy monologues, Clancy embraced it, finding well timed beats and adapting a colorful way of speaking to make the seemingly foreign language understandable. Playing the fierce and clever Lysander, Cameron Parker did a wonderful job transitioning throughout the show, from doting, to hexed, back to doting again.
Providing hilarious breaks in tension, was the ragtag group of Mechanicals. Any time the troupe donned the stage, laughter was sure to follow. Playing the riotous Nick Bottom, Jack McCullough was masterful in his portrayal, whether it was beneath a donkey head or engulfed in faux armor. The rest of the company, consisting of Petra Quince (Ally Fenton), Francis Flute (Hayden Picker), Tom Snout (Maja Mozdzer), Snug (Henry Yearley) and Robin Starveling (Lucas Nelson), was on par with McCullough’s energy. Their off-the-wall production of Pyramus and Thisbe was a major highlight of the show.
The sets, led by Dashiel Albright and Emma Crawford, were essential in bringing the story to life. A massive tree, stemming from the back of the room, had branches shooting off in all directions, even intertwined with the stage light fixtures. This, combined with floor to ceiling greenery, made it impossible to distinguish fantasy from reality in the best way. Costumes and makeup were another highlight of the production, with each character having custom designs catered just to them. The contrast between the fairies, mechanicals, and Athenians added even more to each role.
“Oh Spite, Oh Hell!” It is a shame that there are no more chances to catch Harriton Theater Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Arielle Oslon – Upper Merion High School
To learn more about the Cappies program, visit cappies.com/gpc.
Promotional Video