theatre review: a midsummer night's dream

From a reviewing standpoint, classics like A Midsummer Night's Dream come with a built-in limitation in the amount of interpretation to be enjoyed. It's a play that has already been endlessly dissected by theatre experts and Shakespeare scholars, and there comes a point whether it really is possible to say anything about the play that hasn't already been said before. Perhaps it would be different if the production itself were done in a wildly unconventional way - setting it in a different time period or going hog-wild with postmodernism, for example - such that the context of the play's events are changed. But this production at the Theatricum Botanicum is very much a traditional one. And there's nothing wrong with that, except that it means evaluating the production's quality rather than delving into uncharted territories.

Having said that, the Theatricum Botanicum is a wonderful venue. The prices aren't cheap-cheap, but for this production of A Midsummer Night's Dream it's worth it. So if you get the chance, head out to Topanga Canyon to experience...

A Magical Summer Dream at the Theatricum Botanicum