Once in a long while I see a play that makes me angry at even glowing reviews for not making it sufficiently clear that THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER WELL-DONE, WELL-REVIEWED PLAY.
This is something else again.
The play I’m talking about is Midsummer Night’s Dream, appearing at the Payomet tent in North Truro. We came away shaking our heads in delighted disbelief. How could this small company of relatively young actors be doing such Shakespeare in this remote tent?
One thing it makes clear, as Shakespeare productions do not always, is what a farout guy Shakespeare really was. How, 400- plus years ago he was all over us, writing a play about love and sex and marriage and gender and the rules and the breaking of the rules and the magic of the night that still can blow your mind, inspire you, give you new ideas. Make even older people feel the night differently.
There’s lots of good stuff around and I’m not saying don’t see that, but I am saying: do yourself a favor and make sure to see this and have your mind blown.
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30. (Last performance Sat, August ll.) Consult the Payomet website.
The players and production were so good we gave a standing ovation, during which, although regrettably I didn’t give it voice, my spontaneous thought was to call “Author! Author!”
If you think this production is fabulous—-and it is all of that and then some—you should’ve seen these guys when they were all fresh out of the University of Minnesota Guthrie School of Theatre. The core group was known as Shakespeare On The Cape and their brilliant interpretations of The Bard’s work and a couple other select plays changed my life. Scandalously brilliant productions. If anyone is wondering how it is possible to wax so passionately about writing that is now centuries old, go to the Payomet before it is too late and see for yourself. I just can’t get enough of these guys.