HSF's Midsummer: Great!
We hadn't been to Reservoir Park to see free Shakespeare in quite a while; last night we attended the Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In short, it was great! I don't see much theater, but I've seen quite a few of this company's productions and have always enjoyed them.
My favorite performances:
- Mark Robinson's acrobatic "Puck" was a treat to watch. I thought he was going to hurt himself with some of those cartwheels, but he's obviously in great shape. And his acting was top-notch.
- Doug Durlacher's Danzig-inspired "Oberon" was a great take on the character, and he had the voice to match.
- Melissa Dunphy's songs and violin playing were a great touch.
- Kent McNeillie's "Bottom" was easily the best comedic performance of the night, and produced tons of laughter from me. Great timing and nuance.
The "modern" style of production was fresh, and this is the first time I can recall a cell phone as a prop in a Shakespeare production (to great effect). There's one more performance tonight at 7:30, weather permitting; highly recommended. The HSF is still putting out great work 10 years after their inception.