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Peer Reviews A Midsummer Night's Dream Entire contents are copyright © Sherry Deatrick. All rights reserved.
A Midsummer Night's Dream is the play that brought the members of Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble together several years ago. Unfortunately, I missed that performance, and can't compare the two. But I'd be willing to bet this one is better, thanks to the length of time these performers have worked together. Building a true ensemble is a luxury, but the results are worth it. You learn to trust your fellow actors, know their abilities and limitations, and develop a sort of ESP that can save you during tense moments onstage. Interestingly, this play is the perfect choice for Le Petomane. Victor Kiernan, a Marxist scholar and historian, notes that the characters' loss of identity is more of a blending together, creating a haze such that making a distinction is all but impossible. Likewise, the members of Le Petomane have blended their individual identities into the group ego and created a new community that is greater than the sum of its parts.
As with all of Le Petomane's offerings, there are plenty of laughs, expert delivery and perfect comic timing. The actors are confident without letting their egos get in the way of the performance. The 22 roles are played by the six members of the troupe. They move easily through their various roles, each taking a turn at being Puck, represented by a mask colored purple to signify magick and the occult. When an actor dons the purple mask, you can almost see Puck's spirit flit into the actor's soul like a bird. The costumes are part of the group's oddball humor. The Athenians wear hideous curtains tied in various ways over their street clothes. Tony Dingman wears what could pass for a UPS outfit -- brown shirt, brown shorts. Heather Burns is dressed as a scrub nurse or doctor. Kristie Rolape wears a green t-shirt that says "I ____ Tokyo," the blank being a weird Japanese symbol that I can only assume means "I heart Tokyo." They all wear commedia dell'arte style masks which represent their various characters, making it easy to tell who they're supposed to be at any given moment, despite the fast-paced role-switching. It's always hard to pick a favorite actor in this ensemble since all are outstanding. But for this show, Kyle Ware makes a lasting impression, particularly as Nick Bottom (who is turned into an ass). Bottom also plays Pyramus, one of the actors in the "play within the play." Ware evokes the spirit of that beloved comic genius, Bert Lahr, even though he's not portraying a lion. Pyramus' death scene is not to be missed. If fear and loathing of Shakespeare is keeping
you away from this show, worry not. Le Petomane
Theatre Ensemble makes the Bard more accessible
and intelligible than any other production I've
seen.
A Midsummer Night's Dream Posted Apr. 21, 2008
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