A Noise Within presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott. Produced by Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott.
In a Burtonesque style, A Noise Within delivers a fascinating production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, transporting the audience to a whimsical dream of fantasy, music, and magical powers. The dark mood used throughout the play adds to the mystic nature of the story and highlights the intriguing side of the characters.
The visuals achieved in this production demonstrate the technical abilities of the creatives involved. Frederica Nascimento (Scenic Designer) and Ken Booth (Lighting Designer) create a mysterious and dreamy atmosphere that brings out the carnivalesque attribute of the story. There are plenty of grays and blacks with splashes of yellows, reds, greens, and blues to convey the fantastical underworld of the fairies. To complement the visuals, costume designer Angela Balogh Calin; wig and makeup designer Tony Valdés; and properties designer Stephen Taylor all contribute to the overall mythical look of the enchanted fairyland.
The two quirky characters that have some of the funniest lines in the story are Puck and Bottom, played masterfully by Kasey Mahaffy and Frederick Stuart, respectively. The two thespians continue to shine in A Noise Within’s productions, delivering captivating and passionate performances consistently. Mahaffy is a natural playing the mischievous Puck, blending humor with oddity to the audience’s delight. Stuart does the same with his character of Bottom, always eccentric, always overdramatic.
Also gleaming on stage are the four lovers: Jeanne Syquia as Helena, Rafael Goldstein as Demetrius, Erika Soto as Hermia, and Riley Shanahan as Lysander, all of them contribute a great deal of humor to the play with their dialogue and physical comedy. Likewise, Zach Kenney and Trisha Miller show off their subliminal histrionic skills. They double up as Theseus and Hippolyta and Oberon and Titania, manifesting A Noise Within’s commitment to bring the best performers for their classical theatre productions.
Directors Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott show their tasteful creativity by giving a distinctive Gothic and German Expressionism style to their rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The monumentalism of the opening scene with the big gray wall and the black costumes is a striking and very different take on Shakespeare’s play. Metropolis and Blade Runner 2049 come to mind when observing the brutalist, dark, and contrasting features of the scenic and lighting design. The dimensions of the stage and the seating arrangement contribute to make it an immersive experience. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy theatre at its best. Allow yourself to unplug from reality and fall into a deep dream of kings, queens, and fairies. It’s a magical journey to the underworld, in a land far, far away.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Noise Within
3352 E Foothill Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91107
Performances Oct. 14 – Nov. 12
Tickets and schedule: anoisewithin.org
Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott. Starring Greta Donnelly, Rafael Goldstein, Rachel Han, Zach Kenney, Kasey Mahaffy, Ed F. Martin, Trisha Miller, Hakop Mkhsian, Alex Morris, Brendan Mulligan, Cassandra Marie Murphy, Riley Shanahan, Lauren Sosa, Erika Soto, Frederick Stuart, Jeanne Syquia, Erick Valenzuela. Presented by A Noise Within, Geoff Elliot and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, producing artistic directors. Creative Team: Scenic designer Frederica Nascimento; lighting designer Ken Booth; composer and sound designer Robert Oriol; costume designer Angela Balogh Calin; wig and makeup designer Tony Valdés; properties designer Stephen Taylor; and dramaturg Dr. Miranda Johnson–Haddad. The production stage manager is Angela Sonner, with Talya Camras assisting.
