This fall, MTPA performed the well-known Shakespearean play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. They faced the challenge of performing a both difficult and famous play, and put on an amazing production. 

First, the actors did an incredible job not only delivering Shakespearean lines—a challenge in and of itself—but also adding emotion, excitement, and humor in their artful delivery. They took Shakespearean language and made it sound like modern, spoken conversation with well-placed pauses and inflections. Whether in the lovers’ dramatic fight or the players’ humorous rehearsals, I knew exactly what was happening despite the Shakespearean language because of the actors’ excellent line delivery. 

And, while admiring the actors’ line delivery, I would be remiss to neglect their excellent nonverbal acting. The actors moved beyond their lines to add comical background scenes. Whether through the players’ interpersonal dynamics, Puck’s mocking gestures, or the lovers’ spats, the actors were hilarious both when delivering lines and when not. 

No excellent production can happen without a skilled crew, and this production was no exception. From props to lighting to makeup to quick set changes, the crews did a fantastic job bringing challenging Shakespeare to life. Making one Shakespearean costume at a high school level is impressive. Making dozens? An exceptional feat by an exceptional costume crew. Build and paint crew constructed multiple sets for multiple settings: a castle for a duke, trees for a magical forest, a bed for a fairy queen, and a rickety stage for a humorous play. 

Not only was the play a visual spectacle, it was also an auditory delight. While watching the performance, admiring the sets and costumes, and listening to the actors’ lines, I hardly noticed the sound crew because of how skillfully they switched microphones and integrated sound into the production. The musicians, on the other hand, were quite apparent—and quite skilled. Performing incidental music during set changes, scenes with the actors, and mini onstage concerts, the musicians complemented and enhanced the performance. 

MTPA took on a tremendous challenge in putting on not only Shakespeare, but well-known Shakespeare. They didn’t simply meet the high requirements of Shakespeare; they exceeded them to create a stunning production. Bravo, MTPA, and I can’t wait to see what you’ll do with Beauty and the Beast.