The River Rep theatre group will start their fourteenth summer season at the Ivoryton Playhouse in Connecticut. The season starts with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and continues with The Happiest Days of Your Life, 1776, The Heiress, and The Mystery of Irma Vep.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Shakespeare’s romantic romp, a play within a play, featuring Helena, Hermia, Puck, the mechanicals, and the fairies. It runs June 20-July 1. Other plays by Shakespeare include Macbeth, The Winter's Tale and Cymbeline.

July 4-July 15 will bring The Happiest Days of Your Life. The comedy, by John Dighton, is filled with mix-ups and anarchy as a British boys’ school and girls’ school get together.

After the July 4th festivities, the patriotic feel will continue from July 18-Aug. 5 with 1776. The Tony Award winning musical by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards tells the story of the personalities behind the Declaration of Independence. Characters portrayed include Ben Franklin, John Hancock and John Adams. 1776 runs for a special three week engagement (instead of the usual two weeks).

Following this is an adaptation of Henry James’ novel, "The Heiress." Ruth and Augustus Goetz’s play is about a lonely heiress and the man she falls in love with, against her domineering father’s will. It runs from August 8 19. An acclaimed Broadway revival some years back starred Cherry Jones and Philip Bosco. The season concludes with the farcical melodrama The Mystery of Irma Vep. The show is a Victorian murder mystery, combined with contemporary satire and peppered with ghosts, goblins, and mummies. Written by Ridiculous Theatrical Company maestro Charles Ludlum, it runs Aug. 22-Sept. 3.

For tickets to shows at the Ivoryton Playhouse on Main Street in Ivoryton, call (860) 767-8348. For group rates, call (860) 545-7870. The theatre also has children’s shows every Friday at 11 AM. For more information, visit their website at www.riverrep.com.

-- by Daniel Fischer