Top 5 Coolest Things I’ve Ever Seen
#4: A Midsummer Night’s Dream at California Shakespeare Theater
First off, an outdoor amphitheater in the Orinda hills makes for a perfect backdrop for a magical foresty dream play like this to take place in. Cal Shakes is just the best when it comes to providing the perfect ambiance for their re-imagined classics.
I’m yet to see a Cal Shakes production that has disappointed. I thought perhaps Midsummer, being the most overdone of Shakespeare’s works, might be the same, tedious thing that I’ve always seen. I should have given them more credit. My expectations were absolutely blown away.
This is Aaron Posner of Two Rivers Theatre Company’s first time with Cal Shakes and I hope it won’t be his last. The man is clearly a directorial visionary, incorporating music, illusion, and creative humor into nearly every moment of the play. A brilliant company of delightful actors make the play dance through your mind like a memory you want to hold onto. And the set, while very simple at first glance, really has a few tricks up its sleeve.
This is, overall, a feelgood piece. It makes you laugh. It makes you dance. It makes you feel good about everything. You forget all of your earthly troubles, even the cold Orinda air, when watching this piece.
It’s only playing for one more weekend. I’d suggest buying tickets as soon as possible.
