A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream Comes to Life

See Photos at end of article

From Thursday November 20 through Saturday Night, the John Jay Theater Workshop will present, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, and in portraying Theseus, Sophia Cheng sang praise to the master. “Shakespeare defined theater for an age that was bleak and empty, and he humanized art,” the actress assured. But the era and the old school words that go along with the comedy shouldn’t be a concern, according to Aaron Koenig.

“If I was in your position, I would be thinking the same thing. I’d say, I don’t want to go to a Shakespeare show. I don’t know what these people are saying, and then I’d watch,” explained Koenig. “I would realize you can understand everything just by watching.”

His friend Reilly Squadron epitomized the idea in rehearsal. HIs voice currently lost, rehearsal had the director saying the lines from the seats, and in hope of an expedient recovery, Squadron still did his part on stage. “Reilly is doing an absolutely great job of portraying his emotions physically,” clarified Koenig.

As for himself, it would take a lot more than a tender throat to quiet his passion. “I love being on stage. I really don’t have a fear of being embarrassed. I don’t care what people think,” he asserted. “You can see my entire death scene. It’s the most embarrassing thing in the play, but I don’t care. If it makes the audience laugh, it’s worth it.”

A confidence that comes through his character, and for Nick Bottom’s journey, the characteristic is a requirement. “None of them like me. But I really want to be in charge, and by the end, it’s really obvious that they need me,” said Koenig

In turn, the actor feeds off the evolution. “So I come out and show out,” he said.

The same goes for Gracyn Holm-Jorgenson, but she didn’t have to say a word to stand out. Playing Puck, her character serves the Queen of the Fairies, and the modern slant dresses the actress up in full hippie gear. “At first I thought the outfit was really loud,” said Holm-Jorgenson.

Of course, she came around. “This is really groovy,” the actress gushed.

Confidence in tow too, her portrayal had Puck living up. “I love mischief. So yes, I do what Oberon tells me, but I also have a little fun with it,” she revealed.

Alongside, Cheng spoke up with her outfit too, and reveled in its flight of fancy. “That’s one of the fun parts of theater. We get to mess around, have fun and dress up in clothes we wouldn’t be caught dead in today,” she joked.

Serious too, Cheng got contemporary with Shakespeare’s message. “Oberon believes that love is about power imbalance,” said Cheng. “I think he learns that love cannot be controlled and taken advantage of. But that’s up to the discretion of the audience.”

Twofold when it comes to her talents, the softball field and the stage has Cheng downplaying her diversity. “I wouldn’t consider myself great in either, but we can try,” she dropped the mic again.

There to pick it up are the likes of Cormac Kendall. Stagehand, the junior also takes great pride in being part of the build crew. “It’s a lot of wood, a lot of paint and a lot of time,” he said. “Building gives you a sense of accomplishment. We work really hard on this set, and when people see it, everybody loves it.”

Lots of moving parts, Bohdan Adrianowycz is among the synchronicity. The student technical director under Kim Kenny, the duo coordinates the technical aspects with the visual component, the lighting and set design. “She works really close with pretty much everyone, and I’m working with her,” said Adrianowycz.

Mirabelle Wright does her fair share of coordinating too. Assistant Stage Manager, she follows the marching orders of Calvin Wein. “ASM is either stage left or stage right. So they help oversee all the stagehands, who make sure all the things are in place when they need to be,” Wright revealed.

Complicated for sure, so is Shakespeare but only on the surface according to Delia Margie. Playing Hippotyta, the Queen of the Amazon’s reins it in. “All done in an entertaining and funny way, it’s complicated language is still very accessible,” she said.

So the cast and company hope to see you this weekend.