Titan Theater takes on Shakspeare’s ‘Dream’

On April 28, 29 and 30, the students of Papillion La Vista South Drama performed in front of their audiences a rendition William Shakespeare’s classic comedic love story, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The play explores the complexities of love, the power of dreams, and the consequences of meddling in the affairs of others. Its characters find themselves entangled in a web of desire and confusion, navigating a world where nothing is quite as it seems. 

     “The most surprising thing about the production overall has been how much I’ve enjoyed performing it,” said senior Henry Vote, who played Lysander. “I’ve also really enjoyed how the show is formatted. There’s sort of three plotlines that the story follows that eventually all come together, so in rehearsals I get to watch the other two plotlines that happen around my character and enjoy my friends and their incredible humor and acting.” 

     Like many other Shakespearean comedies, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is largely characterized by its abundance of clever plot twists and confusion making the performances filled with 

     “Since this was our first Shakespeare experience, I wanted it to be one of the easier shows,” theater teacher Ms. Mary Dickson said. “The Play Pro kids really wanted to do Hamlet, but that is, like, the hardest and longest one. It was between Midsummer and Twelfth Night and I thought we had a better cast for Midsummer.”

     It still proved to be a challenge for many of the young actors. “The prep was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be,” said senior Mattie Sohm, who played Hermia. “It’s definitely a lot different than your ‘normal’ kind of plays, especially never having experience with performing Shakespeare.”

     Vote took notice of the difference in rehearsals. 

“Rehearsals were sometimes more geared toward understanding what we were saying in Shakespearean, and how we were saying it,” he said.  

     Dickson, who came to Papio South from Arizona last year, did Shakespeare every year when she taught there. Here she plans on alternating between a full show and a Shakespeare showcase every year, as she cites the importance of Shakespeare familiarity. 

     The performances sought to transport audience members  to an enchanted forest filled with mythical creatures and mischief. “It’s the most aesthetically pleasing-to-the-eye show that I’ve ever done,” Dickson said.

     Senior Jake Erickson, who played Oberon, couldn’t contain his excitement regarding the beauty of it all. “The set is gorgeous, the costumes are gorgeous, the makeup is gorgeous,” he said. 

     Erickson credited student collaboration for the set’s success. ”I think this production is a great example of the creativeness of the drama program as a whole,” he said. 

Fairy wings, intense makeup, and a set that called for a large bridge elicited creativity and collaboration from the program. According to set master Reece McAdams, “The most challenging part was the bridge. The math was difficult and we also had to make sure that the incline was within safety regulations while still looking how I wanted. Despite being the most difficult, the bridge is certainly my favorite. It came into fruition beautifully.”

     “I think this [production] has definitely made me grow more of an interest in Shakespearean literature,” said Senior Mattie Sohm, who played Hermia. “When we were told we would be doing a Shakespeare play, a lot of us were a little worried and hesitant because we’ve never worked with it before. For me, at least, this show has definitely made me more interested in reading more of his work and being more appreciative of it.”