“Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

The actors who come into view are perfect. Moreover, they seem to be having a great time as they dance, woo, fight, and show us the sameness and differences between their daytime and nighttime selves.

And, they look like they are having a great time.

Huertas as Puck does every move and gesture with joyous great energy and focus. His moments as Philostrate are satisfying special, too! Huertas’ singing repeatedly brings us into the next scene and next spot in the day. His acting and musical talent inspire awe.

Al Espinosa’s Nick Bottom is another standout. Espinosa does a great job making Bottom’s run-on speeches entertaining and coherent. As much as I don’t like the idea of Shakespeare being “updated” into modern English, Espinosa’s lapses into idiomatic Spanish were fun and obviously engage the younger members of the audience.

Peter Quince (portrayed by Lisa Tejero), the head of the acting company of the play within a play, stands out for the energy, over-the-top focus, forbearance, and increasing the onstage fun. It’s a ridiculous role performed extremely well.

Of course the young lovers are important and amazingly wonderful in this performance. Demetrius (Jonathan Luke Stevens) and Lysander (Jaysen Wright) add great physical comedy to their scenes which they expertly balance between real and farce. I particularly liked their cheek by jowl dance!

The women lovers were also fun with Hermia (Saran Evelyn Bakari) and Helena (Rhea Bradley) agonizing one moment and dealing with drug-induced lust the next.

The moments of U. Jonathan Toppo as Snug are memorable, but so too are those of Anthony Kirby’s Francis Flute. They added a lot to the overall feel of the progressing play.

Moreover, the scene setting work of Armando McClain as Oberon/Theseus and his love interest Titania/Hippolyt played by Jessika D. Williams was solid, understandable, and elegant.

Every aspect of OSF’s production of Midsummer is memorable and, for me, the best imaginable.

My drawback in recommending this show is that I just don’t care about the story presented. Some people have told me that Midsummer is their favorite Shakespeare comedy. They really should see this version several times because there is magic, talent, and music in every moment.

But, for some reason, neither the clever wake vs. dreaming contrasts nor the general romantic foolery does it for me.

We heard the director talk after opening and were taken by her efforts to merge the mechanicals, fairies, lovers, and everyone in a meaningful display of differences. So, we decided to see it again, watching for the nuances she mentioned. And, sure enough, the music and other movements she talked about were there. I just still am not wowed by Shakespeare’s story.