March 6 proved to be a good test run for the actors and crew of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Students from the School of Theatre and Dance, under the direction of Stanton Davis, performed one of Shakespeare’s classics with talent and precision.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is the tale of a marriage party gone horribly awry. The fairy king Oberon and queen Titania are quarreling, and Oberon’s messenger Puck is sent out to play tricks on the queen. Some unfortunate mortals are caught in the crossfire and hilarity ensues when lovers under the spell of fairies change partners faster than square dancers.

First-year master’s student Brian Sheppard made his debut performance as Puck, and did well in captivating the audience with monologues performed directly to audience members. Other highlights of the evening included the performance by senior Bea Landers as Helena, who was quite convincing as a hilarious, doting lover.

All actors featured in the performance had a high sense of timing and stage presence, which never skipped a beat. It’s true that Shakespearean plays can be hard to understand, even for theater and English majors, but even a layman will be able to follow along with this recanting. However, audience reaction may shine light on who is a fan of Shakespeare and who is trying to follow along for the first time.

The only downfalls of the evening were moments when actors seemed to struggle with iambic pentameter, but these occurrences were rare and did little to distract the audience.

A fog machine used to create mystique became a source of discomfort, and the play’s more than three-hour running time can be challenging for those not serious about enjoying a night of theater. Patrons are warned not to attend if they become restless easily.

For aficionados of Shakespeare, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be an enjoyable experience, and for those not yet familiar with Shakespeare, this will be a highly well-performed introduction to a rich genre.

All comments are moderated before being published. We will not edit your comments, but we also will not approve those that are abusive, off-topic, attack another poster or contain information we know to be libelous or false.

During peak weekday viewing times, most comments will be reviewed within six hours. For more detailed information, click here.

After submitting your comment, check below for a confirmation message.

• Your name:
• Enter text from image:
  

• Your comment:

* 300-character count. HTML formatting will not display.