Liat Ginsberg is a mother and a former Journalist for the Israeli newspaper Maariv. She taught at the Film and Media department at Hunter College.
When the pamphlet of The New Acting Company advertised that the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream is appropriate for kids age 5 and up, I doubted it. I told myself , “How could a kid understand a language from 1594”? But I decided to take the risk with my 5 year old twins. I already imagined that they are going to embarrass me and I’ll have to leave the theatre in the middle of the play.
To my amazement, they sat through the play and at times even laughed very loudly. Yes, they did not understand the story but they were able to find many amusing scenes that adults are already sarcastic about. The play was a lesson for how children theatre can be clever, sophisticated and amusing at the same time.
A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies and this production has updated it to fit our time, and teaches us that human emotions do not change with the times. The production is directed by The New Acting Company’s Producing Artistic Director, Stephen Michael Rondel, and choreographed by Ede Thurrell. The script has been reimagined and adapted by Mary Jo Bono.
The Production Stars; Andrea Alton, Sha James Beamon, Matt Bloch, Madeline Calandrillo, Lily Davis, James Leaf and Introducing; Eloise Esseks and Anne-Sophie Vandenberk. They are young, but very convincing.
The comic relief of the play was Sha James Beamon who played Puck. Also known as Robin Goodfellow, Puck is Oberon’s jester, a mischievous fairy who delights in playing pranks on mortals. Though A Midsummer Night’s Dream divides its action between several groups of characters, Puck is the closest thing the play has to a protagonist. His enchanting, mischievous spirit pervades the atmosphere, and his antics are responsible for many of the complications that propel the other main plots: he mistakes the young Athenians, applying the love potion to Lysander instead of Demetrius, thereby causing chaos within the group of young lovers; he also transforms Bottom’s head into that of an ass. (spark notes)
Sha James Beamon is an actor in addition to a funny comedian, his facial expression are very amusing and convincing. My son couldn’t have enough of him, and even danced with him at the end of the play along with other kids who danced with other actors.
Behind us sat two fifth grade girls that had to memorize the original shakespeare play by heart for school. For them, the modern twist was refreshing.
All performances take place at The Celebration Of Whimsy, 21-A Clinton Street and runs through April 26th.
Disclosure: We were provided with complimentary tickets to facilitate this review but all opinions are our own.
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