Duchesne Academy Presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream
On an unseasonably cool Friday night in Duchesne’s Upper School Theater, a simultaneously eloquent and hilarious rendition of Shakespeare’s celebrated work, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, was performed for a full house by a cast of astoundingly professional high school students. Upper School Theater Director Michelle Britton gave a touching tribute to the cast and the hours of hard work and dedication they had committed to the production over the past several months. Moments later, the lights dimmed and the curtains flew open to reveal an ornately decorated stage complete with an eerily realistic projection of a full moon and the sound of critters in the night, courtesy of technical producer Sarah Drew, a senior. Duchesne senior Alexandra Medina-Simon graced the stage with whimsical attire and commanded the crowd with her eloquently delivered monologue as the role of fairy queen, Titania.
The production went on to feature the comedic genius of Duchesne seniors Cami Mitchell and Salone Hugon in the roles of Peter Quince, the carpenter with a lisp, and Hippolyta, the legendary queen of the Amazons with a witty flair.
True to their art, the entire production was performed in the originally intended Old English, with the exception of a few modern amendments for the sake of comic relief. Perhaps the most brilliant instance of creative comedy seamlessly woven into the traditional script was Camron Alexander’s portrayal of Nick Bottom – the carpenter turned donkey. The seasoned high school thespian brought Shakespeare’s character to life in such a way that he simultaneously conveyed the composition’s overall traditional theatrical essence and had the crowd roaring with laughter.
The evening came to a close with a tribute to the senior cast members including Mariana Maron, Salone Hugon and Cami Mitchell, followed by a touching speech from theater and production director Michelle Britton. As the curtain fell, deafening applause echoed from every corner of the room.
I will leave you with these parting words from the brilliant mind of William Shakespeare as spoken by A Midsummer Night’s very own Puck: “It’s not enough to speak, but to speak true.”
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