Event Article

The stage is bare, except for a few chairs and stools.

All of the actors are milling about the stage area going over different routines.

Stage left, actor Seriozha Lyvers executes a somersault and does a handstand next to some metal scaffolding.

He then wraps his legs around a portion of the scaffolding and flips himself upright to a semi-seated position on the set piece, as though he were Spiderman.

Moments later, the actors all huddle around director Gary Krinke as he goes over a few things before their rehearsal this evening.

One of the props, a bed, is still wet from being fireproofed earlier in the day, he tells them.

"I don't know why they flameproof those things, and not the clothes you're wearing," Krinke tells his actors, who laugh in response.

Krinke and the cast break their huddle and begin their run-through for their first production for Fall 2004, William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Though the story and script are the same, this new production throws in a few modem twists.

"We've taken Shakespeare and gave him an element of 'South Park'," said student Cory Reeder, who plays the working class, aspiring thespian Peter Quince.

Luckily, Mr. Hankey is nowhere to be found here.

The action still focuses on a clumsy theater troupe composed of ego-driven commoners, the impending wedding of the Duke of Athens, two pairs of lovers, and a diverse gathering of mystical spirits who are all · connected together by the mischievous actions of the spirit jester/matchmaker Puck.

This production however, does not intend to recreate Shakespearian times, as so many productions have tried before.

The lowerclass entertainers are depicted as mechanics. In the original version, they were carpenters.

They move about the stage dressed in modern-day jeans and shirts

"No one's going to be in big, baggy pants or pirate shirts," Reeder said. "We're dressed like you guys, so you're going to be able to relate to us."

The differences between 16th and 21st century versions extends to the cast.

Since both men and women make up the cast, the romantic sequences are easier to pull off than it ever was in Shakespeare's time.

Thus the physical interaction between actors and actresses has been refined.

"In Shakespearean times, there were gentlemen playing the (female) roles," said Dave Gaham, who plays the lover Lysander.

"So the way the show is written, it's not very physical. You're not touching, you're not kissing. We've made that a little more contemporary."

"The language reinforces the choreography onstage," said· Rihana Terrell, who portrays Lysander's love Hermia.

"Some of the things that we speak of, Gary has choreographed into the stage to make more sense."

The emphasis on movement is evident in the otherworldly movement of the actors playing the spirits.

Lyvers, who plays one of the spirits, said that he and the other actors cast in these roles were selected on their ability to move in a superhuman manner.

"A lot of us are compiled of cheerleaders, dancers, martial artists," Lyvers said. "Some of us are just actors who are out of control, crazy."

Krinke's production of "A Midsummer· Night's Dream" takes the stage for ·three performances on October 14, 15,< and 16 at 8:00 p.m. in the Campus Theatre.

Overall, the cast is satisfied with their weeks of hard work, and are looking forward to show time.

"This show is one of the most amazing things I've ever done," said Candice Berge; who plays the lover Helena.

"I think that this ensemble is so amazing.· We've worked so hard to get together, and Gary is an amazing director."