Cast members of an April Fool’s farce claim that performing Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was hilarious and challenged them as actors. This play was the last play of the academic year for the Neosho County Community College Theatre Department.
Sam Cox, a NCCC Freshman, plays Helena.
“She’s moody, very moody, and I think that is fun,” Cox said.
Cox stated that the language of the play was hard to get around.
“We are truly mounting Shakespeare as he wrote it,” Director Kyle Chesney said. “We’re doing it the legit iambic verse and everything.”
According to Chesney, Shakespeare wrote in iambic verses, which consist of stressed syllables followed by unstressed ones.
“It brings the language alive,” Chesney said.
Mathew Murphey, also a NCCC freshman, said he enjoys playing characters with opposing styles. Murphey portrayed Egeus, a controlling father figure, as well as Flute, one of the “rude mechanicals.”
“The set is amazing, also the costumes,” Murphey said. “And the good people that we are getting to perform with; there’s a good mix of college and high school students.”
Murphey said the costumes are interesting and were inspired by 1920s styles, mixing them with fantasy accessories like laurel hairpins.
Chesney said that the visuals of the play were inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, who often used repeating geometric patterns. Wright’s work influenced the Art Deco movement which was popularized in the 1920s. His work also incorporated elements of nature, which Chesney said he also did with the set, which was decorated with angular shapes, vines, flowers, and faux grass. Chesney said Wright’s use of repeating geometric patterns reminded him of fractals, which can be found frequently in nature. Fractals are repeating patterns that are intricate even on small scales, like in snowflakes, the leaves of a succulent, or the spirals of sea shells.
NCCC student Kylie Knouf played Peaseblossom, who Knouf described as the lead fairy under Titania’s command.
“I did not understand the play when we first started, because I don’t understand Shakespeare,” Knouf said. “But now I do, and I hope audiences understand how funny it is, and how joyful it really is. It’s a hilarious play.”
Chesney said he was excited to present a unique take on the Shakespeare classic.
“I’m not someone who holds Shakespeare up on a pedestal,” he said.
Chesney said that roughly a third of the cast consists of high school students. According to Chesney, all NCCC Theatre auditions are open to Chanute High School students. The next audition will be held at the beginning of the fall semester.
“I feel like our community deserves an hour and a half of forgetting about everything,” Chesney said. “At the end of the day, this show is for the community.”
