Theater troupe in Colerain High School's production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' injected energy

Two legendary icons of two different mediums came together in Colerain High School’s hysterical and psychedelic production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: the great William Shakespeare and those massively popular purveyors of trippy Sixties rock, The Beatles.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a classic Shakespeare comedy that dates back to around 1590, but the setting was updated to 1968 for Colerain’s production. The story revolves around a group of young lovers who escape the trappings of their life in Athens by taking refuge in a forest. Unbeknownst to them, mischievous fairies live in the forest, and they decide to toy with the lovers by using a magic flower to manipulate their affections for one another. Meanwhile, a bumbling group of actors enters the forest to rehearse for a performance for the King and Queen of Athens, but are bedeviled by the fairies as well.

The production’s strongest point was the energy injected by the theater troupe. No matter the scene, they never missed an opportunity to make a joke, kept their scenes short so as not to make the show drag, and were 100 percent committed and believable as characters, keeping the proceedings suitably light and breezy and the laughs fresh.

Zach Jung lit up the stage as Nick Bottom, a hammy actor with a thirst for the spotlight. With his springy gait, knack for physical comedy, hilarious facial expressions, and shockingly good vocal control, Jung quickly became an audience favorite and supplied some of the biggest laughs of the afternoon. Also of note was Sydney Sanders as Puck, “that merry wanderer of the night.” Her graceful and sprightly movements perfectly conveyed the unearthly and mischievous sides of her character, and she showed a strong enough command of the Shakespearean dialect that she was easily able to get the punch lines across to the audience.

The show made several rather inspired technical choices, as well. The use of Beatles music was well integrated into the show’s plot and helped set the mood for each moment (such as using “Help!” during a hilarious and well-staged Scooby-Doo style chase scene). The use of real plants in the set decoration worked effectively in creating the façade of a forest. There were some issues with popping microphones or slightly off lighting cues, but neither of these things was serious enough to detract from one’s enjoyment of the show.

In conclusion, Colerain High School’s production was satisfying as both a re-interpretation of the Bard’s material and a loopy, belly laugh worthy sugar high. Somewhere, dear old Will is partying like its 1968.

Ross Dickerhoof is a member of William Mason High School’s Cappies, "Critics and Awards Program," the international program that recognizes and celebrates high school theater. Through Cappies journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools and write reviews. KyPost.com publishes the best of those reviews in support of high school theater. Twenty-three high schools in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky participate in Cappies. For more visit www.cappies.com/cin .