By Dessa Bayrock (The Cascade) – Email
Offensive Shadows
By Paul Dunn
Directed by Aaron Froc
Running time 60 minutes
Showings: Saturday 5:05 p.m., Sunday 1:20 p.m.
Warning: coarse language, vivid sexual implications.
Memorable lines: “I just loved bunking down with the virgin queen and her Garth Brooks posters.”
“She was a mess and he was drunk. Teenagers in love.”
Anyone familiar with A Midsummer Night’s Dream will enjoy this show. Anyone unfamiliar will more than likely be a little lost.
We meet the four Shakespearian lovers Demetrius (Luke Stevens) Lysander (Dalton Yanciw) Hermia (Alexis Clift) and Helena (Jessie Whatley) in a present-day setting, where no magic flower juice is needed to make teenagers fall in love – just marijuana, warm beer, and a cocktail of teenage hormones.
The results are even more hilarious than the original, and lines from Midsummer are innocently woven into the text for Shakespeare aficionados to find.
The first half of the play is basically a recap of Midsummer, and the characters describe what they’re thinking and doing rather than engaging in dialogue. This format keeps the show popping along, especially with the spotless comedic timing of Stevens.
The second half of the play takes place five years later, when the four lovers reunite for the first time since the fateful night in the forest. The “magic” has worn off – and now both characters and audience have to wonder if the lovers really ended up with the right partners, and if it’s too late for them to take destiny back into their own hands.
Although the two halves seem a little disconnected, and the jock/nerd contrast between Demetrius and Lysander quickly wears thin, the play is still absolutely gut-splittingly hilarious. This is another must-see of the festival, especially for those familiar with the original Shakespearean comedy.
