©2012 Joan Marcus
Everything’s coming up rose petals in the Classic Stage Company’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’
The eyes have it in the visually playful production of A Midsummer Nights Dream at Classic Stage Company.
True love doesnt run smoothly in Shakespeares mashup of misaligned lovers, prank-pulling sprites and goofy laborers-turned-actors. It never does.
But the eye-catching imagery unspools without a hitch in director Tony Speciales interpretation, which relies on a gigantic mirrored wall to create double vision.
One whimsical stage picture smacks of American Beauty as Bebe Neuwirths snoozing fairy queen Titania is blanketed under red rose petals.
Another striking sequence blends Victorias Secret and Calvin Klein commercials. In it, four bewitched Athenians played by Christina Ricci, Halley Wegryn Gross, Jordan Dean and Nick Gehlfuss expose their hearts and ridiculously toned physiques. During their fairyland encounter, mini skirts and skinny jeans come off and all theyre left in are their undies.
And in this high-spirited show, Puck (downtown favorite Taylor Mac) is a one-man Halloween party. He pops up in flamboyant costumes that make him look like a candy cane, a gnarled old tree and a pink elephant.
Mac shows a buttoned-up side, too. He also plays the stern and sober Egeus, who tries to dictate who his daughter, Hermia, should love and marry. Most of the actors double up on roles; its a smart way of commenting on how dreams seep into waking hours and vice versa.
Beyond the tasty eye candy, the show isnt so easy on the ears. Passages of the Bards poetry are delivered with all the music of a tune played on a rusty saw. Sometimes, the enchanted young lovers sound like theyre reading a Gossip Girl script.
Making up for tone-deaf deliveries are some excellent ones. Steven Skybell, as Bottom, the weaver and wanna-be actor who becomes Titanias asinine object of affection, talks the talk expertly. And David Greenspan is very endearing as artisan-actor Flute. He makes the play within the play simply, well, dreamy.
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