Colorado College students put on a play that reimagines Shakespeare’s classic, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” set at an Ohioan Appalachian music festival.
Why Ohio, when the original play is set in Athens, Greece? “That’s where a lot of my family is from, and it is where my heart is,” Shannon R. Davis, assistant professor of theatre and dance, said.
Davis was the driving force behind bringing the show to life. Davis’ adaptation is set in 2012, which is reflected in the soundtrack. “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele and “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye and Kimbra are two notable picks.
Much of the play takes place in a forest. Dana Trummert ‘27 designed a woodsy set, which is beautifully lit in hues of red, green and blue.
Before entering Celeste Theater in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center, CC student Keegan Shouse ‘28 joked, “I heard there’s a dream involved.”
Many were excited for the donkey transformation scene, in which Eli Lukens ‘28 plays Nick Bottom. His performance was strong.
Davis’ approach to choosing a show is collaborative. “When I’m choosing a show, I don’t like to do it in a vacuum,” Davis said. “It’s not a decision that only affects me. So I like to think about the students first and foremost and if it would be a good challenge for them.”
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is Shakespeare’s most popular play for stage-adaptation.
However, CC’s adaptation is an unusual take. “So we’ve turned the fairies into cryptids and they’re kind of freaky,” she said.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be performed at the Celeste Theatre at 7 p.m. on Nov. 6 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 7 and 8.