From top to Bottom, 'Midsummer" production a comic romp

Publication Date

William Shakespeare’s classic, “A Midsummer Night's Dream,” takes to the stage in Yulman Theater with five performances, Nov. 2-5 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.

This abridged adaptation of the comedy, one of the Bard’s most popular plays, consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, an Amazonian queen.

It follows lovers young and old, human and fairy, through an evening of trials, tribulations, misunderstandings and magical interference.

poster for A Midsummer Night's Dream

“This is a highly condensed version of the original text, and I find something very exciting about taking a revered, well-loved classic and dropping it to the floor and then picking up the shiniest pieces and making something out of them,” says Keelie Sheridan, director and artist-in-residence in the Department of Theater and Dance.

“It’s been lovely seeing the actors take the text and find the life and humor through the density of the language.”

With a cast and crew of 25, Sheridan stresses that the production is truly an ensemble piece.

“We’ve got actors, designers and crew members from across disciplines and departments collaborating to find our own version of this very old text. We’re really celebrating that teamwork.”

In addition to theater, the cast includes students who are majoring in biomedical engineering, classics, computer science, electrical engineering, English, history, neuroscience, political science, physics, psychology and religious studies.

“This is a great demonstration of the opportunities at Union for students to grow and learn across disciplines and fields,” Sheridan says.

Tremaine Richardson, who plays Theseus, echoes this sentiment.

“Working with people from all different backgrounds, all coming together to create this beautiful, beautiful masterpiece for an audience, is a wonderful experience,” he says.

“This is the largest cast that I’ve ever worked with,” says Sarah Wright, who takes the role of Titania, a leader of the woodland fairies. “There is so much going on all at once, and it’s refreshing to have that much energy in the room.”

Melanie De La Cruz, who plays Helena, friend of the protagonist, Hermia, says, “I’m so excited for everybody to see the hard work and love that we put into the show.”

Other cast members include Delaney Beck ’24, Mollyjane “MJ” Boyle ’26, Matthew Connolly ’26, Mary “MK” Darden ’23, Hestia Doud ’25, Tessa Fountain ’24, Haley Gatley ’25, Maggie Kelly ’24, Victoria Lucontoni ’26, Spencer Newman ’25, Thomas Raimo ’24, Dylan Robichaud ’25, Lilian Ruggieri ’25, David “Trip” Sherwood ’23, Lauryn West ’23 and German Language Assistant Teacher Justine Westphal.

Lili Wang '24 is assistant director. Charlie Whiteford ’24 is stage manager, and Latte Khambete ‘25 and Aspen Morris ‘25 are assistant stage managers.

Department faculty working on the show include Brittney Belz, costume designer; Drew Bodd, technical director; and Andrew Mannion, scenic designer. Guest artists Zach Pizza and Luke Krauss oversee lighting and sound, respectively.

Tickets are $15 general admission and $5 for senior citizens and those with a Union ID. They can be purchased at eventbrite.

For more information or accommodative seating arrangements, contact the Yulman Theater Box Office at boxoffice@union.edu, or call (518) 388-6545.