British director Tim Supple has taken this classic by the Bard
and shaped it into a passionate retelling that some will embrace
and others will shake their heads and not stay the course.
British director Tim Supple has taken this classic by the Bard and shaped it into a passionate retelling that some will embrace and others will shake their heads and not stay the course.
Highly lauded in India and London at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Complete Works Festival, Stratford-upon Avon, Verona and Australia, this “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” plays San Francisco reaching out with this bold and enterprising production.
Supple traveled vastly all over India and Sri Lanka and gathered a cast of 23 from auditions of more than 800 performers. He tested musicians, tumblers, dexterous martial arts experts and some of the best actors in India and Sri Lanka.
The actors speak their roles in their own language creating a reincarnation of “Babble” involving Tamil, Malaysian, Sinhalese, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and Sanskrit and some very occasional English.
The text has been precisely translated from the original play. The actors, designers and stage management are all Indian and Sri Lankan. The discourse is confusing in the onset, but as your senses settle down to the telling of the story, it all seems to make sense.
Knowing the “Dream” plot is a definite plus to enjoying this very unique, sultry production that borders this side of Cirque du Soleil and the Kama Sutra.
Being unaware of the story would be a little like going to a silent film without the printed explanation.
This is no subtle “A Midsummer Night’s Dream;” the characters are lusty and display their involvement with a delightful gusto. Old Willy is sitting somewhere shaking his head and probably musing to himself, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Fairies in the forest nap in mid-air or float in hammocks created from colorful silk banners flowing from the top of the inventive set.
A scene is cleverly done with characters in a chase through thick, well-placed elastic bungies. Love is unabashedly made while musicians stationed on either side of the stage make appropriate and interesting music through out the performance.
This is definitely an adult production and an experience that perhaps isn’t for everyone. But for the imaginative and adventurous, it is a journey worth taking.
***
A reminder: ‘Beauty and The Beast’
Just to remind everyone that American Music Theatre of San Jose has produced one of the best productions of “Beauty and the Beast” that has been presented in Northern California (See preview article May 9 at www.gilroydispatch.com). Don’t miss this one, as the talented cast, fine direction, choreography and music make this “Beauty” special. It runs through May 25 and should be on top your must-do list. Adults will enjoy the creativity and talent and the kids will adore it.
