A marvelous dream for an hour's rest

Shakespeare was alive and well in the hearts and minds of a new generation of theatergoers at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey last night. In fact, it was rather poignant: two generations coming together, the old guard and the young, as the audience was made up equally of New Jersey Shakespeare patrons and third graders-this show's targeted audience. This diverse assemblage was because of Shakespeare Live's production of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" adapted into an approximately sixty-minute format by Stephen Fried, who also served as the director. Now, there are two questions one might ask regarding this particular production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." First, why reduce one of the Bard's greatest-if not the greatest-comedy from its five acts to one hour? And second, how many liberties were taken by Fried during the adaptation process?

The play went through reduction surgery in order to be performed in grammar schools throughout the tri-state area-they can be booked at a cost of $875. Although there may be some Shakespeare lost in translation, that is not as important as bringing Shakespeare and live performance for that matter into schools, especially in a world full of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and 24/7 television. Regarding how much is lost in translation, as performer Pressly Coker said in a post-performance discussion, adapter Fried tried "to develop a cutting that had the strongest through-line for the story." Although, fellow cast mate Ray Fisher was quick to add, "Scenes are not in sequential order."

Rest assured however, that this production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is the Shakespearean play we all know and love. It hits all the right marks, plot and character developments, while adding in a little bit extra without deviating from the text to engage the younger audience member. To set up the basic story, actors each took two to three roles. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is centered on the wedding of the Duke, Theseus (Ray Fisher), who is affianced to Hippolyta (Natalie Paul). There are also Susan Maris and Hannah Wolfe as sisters Hermia and Helena, and Jon Barker and Ian Michael Austin as Lysander and Demetrius, Hermia and Helena's lovers, respectively. Last, but not least, for Sir Toby Belch-like comic relief, Todd Quick is Bottom, an actor who puts the capital "H" in ham.

As the cast changes characters and we move into the forest where the trickery and fairies and sprites work their magic, the captivating Pressly Coker joins the ensemble as Puck, wearing a green, form-fitting leotard and a cape. He speaks in couplets and bounces around the stage, as is evidenced by his knee pads -which most of the cast wears at some point. The entire cast is enchanting and goes the extra mile to engage their young audience, whether it is with bounds of energy or screaming at the top of their voices. Apart from the bells and whistles for the kids, the actors are excellent and have incredible voices, with clear diction and great intonation. Natalie Paul looks especially regal as the queen of the fairies Titania and Ray Fisher looks the perfect gentleman as both Theseus and Oberon. Kristin Fiebig's costumes are wonderful, especially for a production meant to tour schools.

Whereas the acting and the costumes are up to par with a traditional theatrical production, the set left more to the imagination and the proscenium of the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey did it and scenic designer Adam Miecielica a disservice. The show also included sound design by Steven L. Beckel, which enhanced the audience's experience at key moments in the performance.

Now, after the curtain call, the cast of a show usually rushes out of the theatre to return to their private lives. After last night's performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the ensemble answered about questions from the audience and gave thoughtful, witty, off-the-cuff answers. They were especially great with the young people who asked questions. They told the audience they rehearsed the show for eight hours, six days a week, for one month before it opened and they do two other shows in repertory along with "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The best answer was in response to the last question, "Do you see yourselves on Broadway some day?" All eight, in unison, answered with a resounding, "Yes!"

While this is a reduced version of the Bard, there are still some great zingers. For example, Helena to her sister Hermia on her bad luck with the opposite sex, "The more I love the more he hateth me." Also, when the great Todd Quick, who portrays Bottom, has his head turned into a mule, he says, "This is to make an ass of me." Another great quip from Bottom comes when Hippolyta falls in love with him-because of Puck's spell-despite Bottom having a mule's head. "Reason and love keep little company together nowadays," he said. Helena may say, "Weary night, long and tedious night, abate thy hour." However, this "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was by no means weary or tedious, and it certainly was not long.