A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Analog Artist Digital World

I went to sketch a dress rehearsal of the William Shakespeare classic, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” presented by Howler’s Theatre and Unseen Images T at Stonewall Bar (741 W. Church St. Orlando FL). While walking to Stonewall y was shocked to see the new MLS Stadium half build in the heart of the Parramore district. Gentrification is spreading fast, west of downtown. Stonewall is right next to the stadium with rainbow colors projected in column on the facade.

The play opens with Lysander (Nick Lubke) deeply in love with Hippolyta, (Tiana Akers). He pursues her, but he heart is not so easily won. Each time she refuses his affections his adoration grows stronger. When this love is lost, she is confused.

HERMIA

Why are you grown so rude? What change is this,

Sweet love?

LYSANDER

Thy love! Out, tawny Tartar, out!

Out, loathèd med’cine! O hated potion, hence!

These lovers are in my sketch, as Lysander restrains Hermia who is at a loss to see why her lover has abandoned her, and accuses Helenus (Scott Browning) of stealing Lysander away from her. This production features plenty of gender bending with men taking female roles and women taking men’s roles . This gives the plot a modern twist and ads plenty of colorful fun to the plot.

Oberon, king of the fairies (Monica Mulder), dressed in black, calls upon Robin “Puck” Goodfellow, (Charlie Wright) her “shrewd and knavish sprite”, to help her concoct a magical juice derived from a flower called “love-in-idleness”,
which turns from white to purple when struck by Cupid’s arrow. When the
concoction is applied to the eyelids of a sleeping person, that person,
upon waking, falls in love with the first living thing they perceive. This potion applied to the wrong eyes leads to lovers previous affections to melt like the snow as they pursue a new love. Both Lysander and Demetrius, (Domino Thomas), fall desperately in love with Helenus and since all three are men, the lover’s triangle becomes as physical as a football match.

Although the
performances will take place outdoors, the audience will be completely
covered from rain and all performances will go on rain or shine. Due to
the location of the show, only guests 21+ will be admitted.

The production will run for 8 performances on the following dates and times:

Friday and Saturday evenings September 2 – September 24 at 7:30 pm.
Please note that the Saturday 9/10 performance will begin at 7:00 pm
instead of 7:30.

Tickets are $22 and can be purchased at:
https://unseenimagestheatre.ticketleap.com/midsummer/

I went to an open rehearsal for William Shakespeare‘s Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center on April 26th. The only performance would be the next day and it was completely sold out. I was surprised at how crowded it was getting into the theater. It turned out $10 tickets were sold to see the rehearsal. I usually sit right up front but the front rows were blocked with yellow caution tape.

I did this sketch with a fountain pen Larry Lauria had lent me. It wasn’t until I started adding watercolor washes, that I realized that the ink wasn’t waterproof. Every wash that touched a line would explode black as the ink spread. I wanted to abandon the sketch and start another, but there wasn’t enough time. I pushed forward hoping the whole page wouldn’t turn black by the end of the show.

The orchestra performed music by Felix Mendelsohn which perfectly complimented the play. There were love potions that caused mortals to fall helplessly in love with the wrong person. All the lovers were bewildered and lost. The wost case was when Titania fell in love with an actor who had been transformed into an ass. My favorite moment was the play staged within the play. Brandon Roberts as a carpenter announced the play while standing on a column. The actors staged a farcical tragedy of Pyramus and Thisby. The female Thisby was played by a man and there must have been basketballs on his chest swinging under the Greek toga. Philip Nolan as Pyramus had a hilarious death scene in which he kept poking his sword at his impenetrable chest plate. He apologized to the assembled audience on stage and said “Well, this is actually more of a dress rehearsal.” He finally shoved the sword inside the armor and had a long winded agonizing death scene that he milked at least three times. Even members of the orchestra couldn’t stop laughing.

It was a delightful evening and I hope the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center continue to collaborate.