A Midsummer Night’s Dream is coming to The White Theatre in Overland Park. Producing Shakespeare is a first for The White Theatre. Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s Executive Artistic Director, Sidonie Garrett will serve as the director, bringing a wealth of experience along with humor, magic, and mystery to this production.
This production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is being directed and produced in honor of Marilyn Strauss. Marilyn, an accomplished former Broadway producer – at the urging of her friend, legendary producer and founder of the NYC Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp – set out to create the only Shakespeare Festival in a three-state area. Marilyn’s grit and determination created and built KC’s Shakespeare Festival into what it is today. Twenty-eight years later, her dream is still alive and prospering and now, adding to The White Theatre’s repertoire.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, widely considered Shakespeare’s funniest and most accessible play, invites the audience into a mystical world where magical dreams unfold, fairies play tricks on unsuspecting lovers, and bumbling idiots turn into beasts. Magic potions, a king & queen, unrequited love, mistaken identities, a play within a play: this story has it all.
Bringing Shakespeare to life at The White Theatre is a mix of KC favorites and a few new faces – Jon Rizzo (Theseus), Chandra Ancell (Hippolyta), Austin Taylor Smith (Lysander), James Kemper (Demetrius), Un Joo Christopher (Hermia), Lindsay Jane (Helena), Ray Ettinger (Egeus), Weiyi Zhang (Philostrate), Kenneth England (Oberson), Kendra Keller (Titania) and Cat Prestinger (Puck).
A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs February 8-16 at The White Theatre, 5801 W 115th St, Overland Park. Call 913.327.8054 or visit TheWhiteTheatre.org.
