A Midsummer Night's Dream

Shakespeare is one of Dallas Theater Center artistic director Kevin Moriarty’s abiding passions. He didn’t include a Shakespeare play as part of the first season he put together for the company, so it was no surprise that he turned to the Bard for the inaugural show at the new AT&T Performing Arts Center’s innovative Wyly Theatre. A Midsummer Night’s Dream seemed an especially appropriate choice, since the last act ends with the fairies’ blessing of the house.
On the first day of rehearsals, Moriarty called together not only the cast and crew but also supporters and other members of the local theater community to offer some insight into his approach. In short, don’t expect gauzy dresses or spangled wings on these spirits of the night in the Midsummer Night’s Dream that opens tonight after a week of previews.
Moriarty laid down his case for a muscular, even edgy, Shakespeare that speaks directly to the people. His fairies will be street-wise folk who draw graffiti on every available surface of the new auditorium. The director said the first order of business would be intensive exercises to make sure all the actors used the same vibrant approach to the music and clarity of the verse.
Speaking of music, Moriarty also proclaimed that every song in the show would be a pop chart hit from the last six months. He sees A Midsummer Night’s Dream as the embodiment of crazy, passionate love — so don’t imagine that the Bard’s bawdy side will be played down.
Because the holiday A Christmas Carol follows so closely on the Shakespeare production, Moriarty is only using half the performers in his newly assembled acting company. Liz Mikel will play Titania; Cedric Neal, Puck; Chamblee Ferguson, Bottom; Lee Trull, Lysander; and Sally Nystuen Vahle, Hippolyta. The whole cast, remarkably, is local.
Matthew Stephen Tompkins, one of Dallas’ outstanding actors over the last 15 years, has his first major Theater Center role as Oberon. Thanks to a new agreement with Southern Methodist University, several graduate students have important assignments. Moriarty has even made room for students from the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, another component of the downtown Arts District, in the cast.
Moriarty, the Theater Center — and Dallas — all have a lot riding on this show. Don’t expect pretty. Expect explosive. Moriarty doesn’t want this to be your grandfather’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. He wants it to be your children’s and grandchildren's.