"A Midsummer Night's Dream"

I caught the final performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, as staged by the Marshall Theatre Alliance, and I'm so glad I did!

It demonstrated why Marshall is the Gold Standard which all other theatre groups aspire to.

It was a fantastic production with an incredibly talented cast, an amazing set (including clever use of MU's rotating stage), great period costumes and props from the 1960s, and an ingenious take on Shakespeare's classic comedy. It even included dancing and singing, and that was terrific, too!

The play was set in the '60s at the Athens Corporation, a company that you might see in the TV show "Mad Men," as executives chase their true loves and encounter some flower children in the woods. Magic spells follow, the wrong people fall in love, some hilarious "actors" get in the mix, and the whole thing is just a scream from beginning to end.

The show was funny, outrageous, randy, clever and just a blast to watch. It was also great to enjoy it with such a large, appreciative crowd.

My hat's off to director Jack Cirillo, who has managed to create what is now my all-time favorite Shakespeare performance, and a show that may very well win the "Best of the Year" honors.

I wish I could say, "Run out and see it," but that was the last performance - so if you missed it, all I can say is: shame on you!