Comedy unbound at Shakespeare NW

Go see “A Midsummer’s Night Dream,” half of this summer’s Shakespeare Northwest fare at Rexville-Blackrock amphitheatre, for a cast-full of fine performances, with seemingly no small roles. Because the cast enjoy themselves so much, you will enjoy them, too.

Festival mainstay Carolyn Travis, portraying first Hippolyta, ancient Athenian royalty, then the fairy Queen Titania, brings a sultry sexuality of desire when caressing Bottom (a versatile, terrifically vain John Roberson), who was turned into an ass for having ventured into the fairy kingdom. Titania herself is under the spell of a wildflower that causes her to become lovestruck with the first creature she sees.

Plot tip: Don’t worry about the story line. Suffice it to say the ancient Athenians are dressed in renaissance English garb and go into woods inhabited by fairies and their queen, a fairy king with deer antlers and an imp with horns. The Athenian King Theseus (James Brown, also Oberon and solid in both roles) requires Hermia (a determined Morgan Loftus) to marry Demetrius (well done by Truxtun McCoy), whom he wants. Alas, Hermia loves Lysander (fine job by Josiah Miller). No dice: she will marry Demetrius or go to a nunnery or die. No, she and Lysander will run away, their route taking them into a forest.

Meanwhile, poor Helena (Gracie Johnson, stoic in a bridesmaid role) is lovesick over Demetrius, though he spurned her before the curtain rose.

Working for Oberon, the fairy king is the show’s energetic center, Puck (Derrick Dong). Dong displayed a wonderful impish vigor every second he was on stage, leaping and prancing when he wasn’t crouching, and never standing straight.

Demetrius and Lysander emanated similar vitality, especially when sparring with each other, projecting a subtle slapstick physicality.

Bottom sought to steal the show as a wonderfully egotisical Village Player. The Players are to perform at the king’s wedding. Bottom hogged this cast’s scenes, expanding his part and offering himself as leading man in the play within the play. Roberson matches Dong for performance of the evening, in what must be a fun role, playing an actor cluelessly overplaying his scenes.

There is more plot complexity, with Puck anointing the love blinding wildflower on the wrong Athenian lover by mistake, making poor Helena the odd lover out. But, no spoiler alert: all’s well that ends well. Go for a truly delightful evening.

The language is pure poetry, with meter, metaphor and rhyme.

Direction by Jessie Spangler is so good that the scenes blend into each other seamlessly and the actors exude serenity. Well done, Spangler, production crew and cast.

Also playing is “Twelfth Night,” the comedy companion piece this year. It will be reviewed next week.

The two comedies are in rotation Thursday-Sunday through August 18. Saturday, July 27, is the annual “Ironman” event: both plays and “Once Upon a Shakespearean Tale,” an original comedy from the troupe. Your ticket gets you a T-shirt as well as admittance to all three.

Tickets and schedule information: shakesnw.org/calendar.