BYU’s Young Company tackles ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Oberon (Jacob Tubbs) and Titania (Macy Hanson) star in the BYU Young Company production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Starveling (Emily Rose Simons), Flute (Lindsey Houseman), Bottom (Chandra Lloyd), Rebecca Perkins (Peter Quince), Snout (Aaron Fisher) appear in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at BYU. The play, for young audiences, opened Wednesday and runs through Feb. 14.
Titania (Macy Hanson) with Bottom while Oberon (Jacob Tubbs) and Puck (Mary Beth Bosen) look on in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," currently appearing at BYU's Nelke Theatre through Monday. Check out our preview story at provodh.com/pfda5.
Brigham Young University’s Young Company is pulling strings to introduce young audiences to Shakespeare — and it’s doing it through the medium of handmade puppets.
A whimsical adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” opened Wednesday in the Nelke Theatre of the Harris Fine Arts Center, and will continue with performances through Feb. 14.
The Young Company brings theater to elementary-aged students, and its goal with this production is to capture children’s imagination while encouraging interest in The Bard.
“This play is kind of like gateway Shakespeare,” said Nat Reed, director of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “It’s funny and I think the most accessible of Shakespeare’s plays, which makes it a good entry play for kids.”
The Young Company commemorates its 40th anniversary this year. Reed utilized “Midsummer” — Shakespeare’s famous comedy of four star-crossed lovers in the fairy woodland — to mark the occasion. The play features three human actors playing Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies, as well as Puck, Oberon’s servant. The balance of roles are played by five marionettes, designed by Reed and made from wood, PVC pipe, foam and papier-mache.
Lindsey Houseman, a freshman psychology major at BYU, is one of the five puppeteers pulling the strings behind the scenes. She manipulates the puppets that play Flute, Helena and Thisbe. This foray into puppetry is her first, and she said the experience has taught her how to multi-task on stage.
“As an actor it comes natural how to move and bend and what to do with your hands. As a puppeteer you have to think about every detail of the puppet. You have to make sure they’re constantly breathing and think about how they’re going to stand and move, all while making sure everything looks natural.”
Houseman said that because the faces of the marionettes don’t move, the puppeteers also have to act, portraying facial emotions and projecting their voices for the audience’s benefit.
“We’re acting and making faces and doing the voices,” she said. “That way if the audience gets confused, they can look at the actor’s face to see what emotion the puppet is feeling.”
In keeping with tailoring the production to appeal to kids, “Midsummer” has been cut down from a full-length production to just 50 minutes. The sometimes unwieldy language of Shakespeare has also been pared to make comprehension of the story easier.
“It’s all Shakespeare lines, they’re just trimmed a bit,” said Houseman. “We emphasize the important words and make sure that the puppets are reacting to each other so the kids know what’s going on.”
Reed hopes this adaptation will help Shakespeare become more approachable to children and spark some interest to exploring his other works.
“I hope kids think it’s funny,” he said. “I hope they laugh and enjoy it and won’t be afraid to try Shakespeare again in a different form.”
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
Where: Nelke Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center
When: Now through Feb. 16, Wednesdays through Fridays at 7 p.m.; Saturday matinees at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Tickets: $7 adults, $5 children, ages 2-11
Info: (801) 422-2981, byuarts.com