People swinging from chains, splashing in a pool and climbing up jungle gym walls all occur in UW-Eau Claire Theatre’s production of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Director F. Reed Brown said he has waited twenty years to put on this production. Water and a jungle gym were a must on his list for this performance.
Freshman attendant Sara Hudis said she was surprised by how much she liked the performance.
“I have never seen a play with water before.” Hudis said. “So at first I thought that it was going to be crazy, but I think it turned out really well.”
The pool takes up the entire stage area of the Riverside theatre thrust. It is twenty-four foot round, fourteen inches deep and holds roughly five thousand gallons of water.
Brown collaborated with lighting and scenic designer Kevin Gawley and costume and makeup designer Amanda Profaizer to come up with a steam-punk, industrial revolution feel for the production.
“Basically the way I imagine steam-punk is Victorian era reimagined,” Brown said. “Once we decided on steam-punk it really opened up a lot of possibilities as to ‘what if,’ ‘what if’ it was a steal world, ‘what if’ everything was made out of chains.”
Brown translates a line from the play in his director’s notes from the playbill about imagination that fit his own motivations when creating and collaborating.
“It is imagination which makes people crazy,” Brown said, “but it is also imagination, which inspires people.”
Katie Gerarden, a senior actress, who plays Hippolyta, said she enjoyed performing the sword fight scene which includes her swinging from a metal chain across the pool.
“It made me feel really, really cool” Gerarden said.
The production has been a hit with many people so far.
“I loved it, I thought it was magical,” said Tyler Edmondson who saw the play on opening night. “I though the technical elements were just amazing, they were beyond amazing.”
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” opened last Thursday and sold out on Saturday night, having to turn away around thirty people. It will be presented this week 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at the student center in Davies to be sure of getting an available seat.
