Hartford's A Midsummer Night's Dream Opens Sept. 5

By Adam Hetrick
September 5, 2008

The Hartford Stage production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, featuring Johanna Day, David Andrew MacDonald and Danyon Davis, officially opens Sept. 5.

Lisa Peterson (Public LAB's Poor Itch) directs Midsummer, which delayed previews until Aug. 29 in order to accommodate the technical demands of the production and allow for new cast member Danyon Davis to assume the role of Philostrate/Puck. Midsummer will continue through Oct. 5.

Davis was named as a last-minute replacement following the injury of Francis Jue (Yellowface) during tech rehearsals. Jue, it should be noted, became involved in the production when Euan Morton (Taboo) was forced to withdraw due to an emergency appendectomy in July.

The cast features Day (Peter and Jerry) as Hippolyta/Titania, MacDonald (Coram Boy) as Theseus/Oberon, Everett Quinton (The Mystery of Irma Vep) as Egeus/Quince, Lucas Caleb Rooney (The Country Girl) as Bottom, Christina Pumariega as Hermia, Sanjit De Silva (Masked) as Lysander, Jake Lacy as Demetrius, Susanna Flood as Helena and Steven Boyer (I'm Not Rappaport) as Flute.

A Midsummer Night's Dream also includes ensemble members from the Hartt School, including Nathan Johnson (Staveling), Robert Patrick Sheire (Snug), Chelsea Farthing, Shaylan Glejzer, April Glick, Sal Mitsou and Alec Shamas as the Fairies. Children in the production are Jordan Cyr, Andrew Shipman, Delaney Jordan and Summer Raign Martin.

Designing the production are Rachel Hauck (set design), Stephen Strawbridge (lighting design), Ilona Somogyi (costume design), Paul James Pendergast (original musical composition) and Peter Pucci (choreography).

A Midsummer Night's Dream follows four would-be lovers into an Athenian forest who soon find themselves caught up in the magical world of the Fairy Kingdom. With entangled subplots and mismatched couples, A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies.

Hartford Stage is located at 50 Church Street in downtown Hartford, CT. Tickets for current shows are available by calling (860) 527-5151. For more information visit www.hartfordstage.org.