While the course of true love never did run smooth, Paul VI Catholic High Schools production of

A Midsummer Nights Dream surely did!

The show was written by William Shakespeare and originally performed at the Globe Theater in
London in the late 1500s. This comedy centers around four lovers from Athens: Hermia,
Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius, an amatuer theater troupe performing at the Dukes wedding,
and their interactions with the mischievous fairy court. This cast put somewhat of a spin on the
classic story with 60s style clothing and music.

Shakespeares use of language can be very confusing at times. However, most of the actors did
a wonderful job of conveying the meaning behind the prose through facial expression and body
language. Hermia (Abigail Rozmajzi) in particular did well with this, knowing what her lines
meant and expressing just that. There were many instances of hilarious physical comedy
between Helena (Caleigh Davis) and her unrequited love, Demetrius (Drew Goldstein), from
leg-grabbing to dragging one another across the stage.

The Fairy King Oberon (Nathaniel Smith) and his servant Puck (Bobby Kelleher) had a
charming, playful relationship that humanized the King and the mischievous, energetic Puck. In
fact there was not one Puck, but two! Bobbys twin brother Tommy Kelleher made several
appearances jumping out of one trapdoor a second after Bobby jumped in another. This made
for fast-paced, delightful scenes between the two. Smith was equally energetic, even popping
out for a seemingly impromptu dance at the top of the second act.

The inexperienced theater group, the Mechanicals, were definitely the comic relief of the show.
Bottom (JJ Cummings), the histrionic player who gets turned into a donkey by the sly Puck,
combined both verbal and physical comedy. Snout (Katey-Sue Ransom) played an adorable,
awkward player who, despite not having many lines, captivated the audience throughout the
Mechanicals disastrous production of Pyramus and Thisbe, in which Snout played the Wall.
The fairies were a very energetic bunch, many using specific facial expressions to give
themselves a distinct personality. Their costuming and makeup was particularly enchanting, if
not somewhat distracting from the 1960s theme. Head of hair and makeup, Abigail Rozmajzl,
paid close attention to detail giving every named fairy costuming and makeup specific to their
names. For example, Cobweb (Kelly Farmar) had spider webbing along her face.

Lighting a stage comprised mainly of different levels can be quite challenging, but the stage was
well lit overall. The sound quality was excellent besides a few minor errors. There were many
appropriate sound effects throughout the show that worked well and the use of 60s jams
between scenes was a very nice touch. There was one song, a lullaby for the Queen of the
Fairies, Titania (Sonya Chinje), that was an original piece of music by Chinje herself! It was very
creative and fit in with the serenity of that scene.

Every fairy knows that mortals be fools, but what a fool youd be if you didnt go see A
Midsummer Nights Dream at Paul VI Catholic High School!