'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Comes to Mackinac Island

From Act II, Scene 1 in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," fairies attend the quarrel of the king and queen of fairies. They are portrayed by Elissa Dubinsky (in front), and Cassy Maxton (left), Ryan McCarthy, and Caroline Gaddy. (Photograph courtesy of Mary Baldwin College University Wits)

William Shakespeare's play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," will be performed at Grand Hotel by the Mary Baldwin College University Wits Sunday, August 20, at 9 p.m. in the Theatre and Monday, August 21, at 1 p.m. in the Tea Garden.

Both presentations are free and open to the public.

The troupe is comprised of 14 present and former students in the Master of Letters and Master of Fine Arts Program in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature and Performance. The group has developed the production using the original

staging practices that many scholars surmise Shakespeare's company may have used.

The actors work off of scrolls, leave the lights up in performance, play multiple roles, and speak directly to audience members. The show is also light on all technical aspects. Music is acoustically derived and the show does not require elaborate sets or electronic lights, except house lights for indoor performances.

Since the performance space and audience are as much a part of the play as the actors, the troupe's summer tour includes a variety of venues, from public parks and lawns to more traditional theaters.

"This project allows us to perform one of Shakespeare's greatest plays in some truly remarkable spaces," says University Wits Artistic Director Andrew Blasenak, who conceived the idea for the tour. "It is really exciting to discover, just as Shakespeare's company would have, how the play changes and adapts to each new audience and each new place."

Mary Baldwin College is in Staunton, Virginia.

Proper hotel attire is required for the evening performance at Grand Hotel.