In celebration of Mardi Gras, Beverly’s theater teacher Ms. Howard directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was their own interactive take on the play.
The Norman Performance Company began working on this show in November, but
really started to drill and block the show this January.
“The blocking, learning lines, and character-building aspects with the other actors in theater and figuring out the vision in tech was all about a two to three month process,” junior Jurnee Burrell-Williams said, who played Snug and Peaseblossom.
In order to put the play together, designers and student volunteers built and planned out all the sets that were featured in the “New Orleans club” and the magical forest of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Various things were built to make the play come to life, such as a lit up rose-filled tunnel to take you to the play, or a mossy area of rocks where the elf queen lay.
“Building the sets was time consuming and consisted of a lot of trial and error, ”student volunteer Sophia Diamond said. “I used lots of push pins, tape and paint to get the sets built and show ready. I worked on the tunnel used to transport guests between spaces, the pond foliage and the Mardi Gras stand.”
When those who came to the play entered the theater room, they were greeted with various hosts or waiters (played by students in theater) to take you to your seats and bring you fresh beignets or sparkling apple cider. The room was lit up with lights and well-decorated tables. The teacher desk was transformed into a ‘bar,’ ultimately transporting you into a new environment, one that definitely didn’t feel like a classroom.
As you waited for the show to begin, the main characters would come up to each table and interact with the audience in character. The waiters and waitresses would also stay in character to make sure the experience seemed fun and authentic.
“We were able to freely communicate with them [the audience] and our end goal was to make them feel included and like they were in the story with us,” Burrell-Williams said.
Right before the audience was taken through the rose tunnel into the set, Lian Ben David, who played Hippolyta and Titania, sang a beautiful cover of “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse.
As the show commenced, the actors really put a lot of effort into making sure it was entertaining and interactive for the audience. For example, during the play they brought someone up on stage to act as a plant during one of the scenes.
“My favorite part about doing the show was getting to slowly watch everything come together, from rehearsals to brainstorming ideas in tech, I got to see both sides of the coin. When everyone in your environment has the same goal it’s really beautiful to see the end result,” Burrell-Williams said.
