"A Midsummer Night's Dream" - by William Shakespeare - Hanover Theatre THT Rep (Worcester, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: Meri Stypinski as “Titania” sits with Equiano Mosieri as “Oberon,” in a scene from THT Rep's adaptation of William Shakespeare's "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM," now playing at the BrickBox Theater in Worcester, MA. until February 14, 2026. Photo Courtesy THT Rep and the Hanover Theatre)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind. Nor hath love's mind of any judgment taste. Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste!"
- ("Helena") / William Shakespeare
The Hanover Theatre THT Rep
Presents William Shakespeare's
"A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM"
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed and Adapted by Dr. Kathryn Moncrief
Associate Director and Choreographer Dr. Sarah Lucie
Cast Includes: Alexa Cadete as “Egea,” Jake Berger as “Theseus,” Janis Hudson as “Hippolyta,” Livy Scanlon* as “Puck/Philostrate,” Meri Stypinski* as “Titania,” Equiano Mosieri* as “Oberon,” Gillian Mariner-Gordon* as “Helena,” Ian Kramer* as “Demetrius,” Stella Chinchilla as “Hermia,” Nina Giselle as “Lysandra,” Teddy Lytle as “Bottom,” John Tracey as “Quince,” Mitra Sharif as “Flute/Thisby,” Daisy Jane Birch** as “Snout/Wall,” Maxwell Caraballo** as "Snug/Lion,” Kyle Hargrove** as “Waltpaper,” Alyssa Morales** as “Astro,” Ginny Hilli** as “Jewels.”
Additional Creative Team:
Production Assistant/Sub Assistant Stage Manager - Abbey Kratman; Assistant Scenic Designer - Ren Saucier; Scenic/Costume Design - Peter M. Rule; Lighting Design - Laura J. Eckelman; Fight Choreographer - Robert Isaacson; Makeup Design - Christi Dionis; Production Stage Manager - Elizabeth Ramirez*; Assistant Stage Manager/Sub Stage Manager - Jess Brennan*.
*Member of AEA
**Worc at Play
Performances:
January 28, 2026 through February 14, 2026
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
Presented at the BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center, 20 Franklin Street, Worcester, MA. 01608
TICKETS:
For more information contact the box office at # 877-571-7469 or email boxoffice@jmacworcester.org
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
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(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
Hanover Theatre Repertory (THT Rep) conjurs up a unique take on William Shakespeare’s "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" at the BrickBox Theater in Worcester from January 28th through February 14th, 2026.
Staged with an intriguing perspective on William Shakespeare’s "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM," the THT Rep production has NOT focused on approaching the Bard material as if it were holy scripture (although Shakespearean purists might take exception).
This is an interesting production that some will find enjoyable for the sheer unbridled frivolity and enthusiasm shared by its cast.
Others may find the approach a little too frivolous, and with certain updated references not quite hitting the "nostalgia mark" as possibly anticipated.
Presumed written between 1595 and 1596, when first performed "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" was originally staged and presented in five acts.
As presented by the THT Rep team, the play is meticulously (and mercifully) performed in two acts.
"A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" is regarded as one of Shakespeare’s most popular and still widely-performed plays.
Before trying to watch this show, in any version, be it traditional, avant-garde or existential, one must immediately accept the setting of a “dreamlike” reality where the rules of the human world have been suspended.
The THT Rep approach maintains Shakespeare’s original text but reframes the classic comedy through a different “lens,” viewing contemporary questions of gender identity and BIPOC representation by placing the action in a pulsing 1980s nightclub.
The THT Rep production is directed by Dr. Kathryn Moncrief and Paris Fletcher of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), who also adapted the script with Dr. Sarah Lucie (WPI) serving as associate director, choreographer, and dramaturg.
The story features a dynamic THT Rep cast portraying characters that include young lovers, a “diverse” play troupe and fairies.
"Why fairies?" one might ask.
"Because why NOT fairies?" would be this reviewer's response.
The fairies in "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" actually represent magic, the supernatural, and the power of love and imagination.
While an absurdity, these fairies embody the humorous, unpredictable and sometimes volatile nature of love and dreams, influencing the human characters and their relationships.
(Cover Photo: A scene from THT Rep's adaptation of William Shakespeare's "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM," now playing at the BrickBox Theater in Worcester, MA. until February 14, 2026. Photo Courtesy THT Rep and the Hanover Theatre)
Set in "Athens" (but not THE "Athens" - more on that later), the play consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus (Jake Berger) and Hippolyta (Janis Hudson) and, as in any good comedy, anything that can go wrong will (and very much does) go wrong.
One of the story’s subplots involves a conflict among Athenian lovers, with another following a group of six amateur actors rehearsing a play for which they are hired to perform before at an impending arranged wedding.
The above characters all find themselves in a forest inhabited by “fairies” who manipulate the humans while engaged in their own turbulent subplot.
Abandoning the above “forest” surroundings, the THT Rep cast of "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" instead find themselves immersed in a reimagined 1980s club culture at a bar called “The Wood.”
While a fun idea, this "bar" apparently doubles as a "flop house" where several of the characters crash for a spell (and I do mean "spell") on couches, one of which broke slightly at the January 31st performance.
Soon they find themselves manipulated by magic and falling in love with the wrong people.
You known what? It happens.
Coming across as an early influence on the future and oft-used television “sitcom” premise, the story navigates complicated relationships comedically led astray by misinformed individuals, misguided intentions and mistaken identities.
(Photo: A scene from THT Rep's adaptation of William Shakespeare's "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM," now playing at the BrickBox Theater in Worcester, MA. until February 14, 2026. Photo Courtesy THT Rep and the Hanover Theatre)
In the first of three intersecting subplots for "MIDSUMMER" involves the Athenians as we are introduced to Lysandra (Nina Giselle), a young Athenian nobleman who is in love with Hermia (Stella Chinchilla), daughter of Egea (Alexa Cadete).
Lysandra is completely devoted to her but soon becomes infatuated with Helena (Gillian Mariner-Gordon) due to some magical mischievousness caused by the fairies.
Hermia is in love with Lysandra and defies her parent’s wishes for her to marry Demetrius (Ian Kramer), a young Athenian nobleman.
While Demetrius is initially in love with Hermia, again due to some misdirected magical mischief, he soon falls for and pursues Helena under a love potion's spell.
The cause of the mischief stems from Oberon (Equiano Mosieri), “King of the Fairies” who, from the play’s second intersecting subplot, is engaged in a conflict with his queen, Titania (Meri Stypinski).
Oberon has ordered the highly volatile and unreliable Puck (Livy Scanlon) to use a love potion to resolve their domestic dispute.
The loyal but looney Puck carries out Oberon's orders, often with unintended consequences, leading to much of the play's confusion and humor.
In the show’s final intersecting subplot involves the “Mechanicals” where we observe the antics of an amateur troupe of actors who are presenting a play to the Athenians (i.e. the “play-within-a-play” concept - a theatrical device for which Shakespeare may not have invented but certainly deserves much credit for its popularity).
Bottom (Teddy Lytle) is a weaver deluded into thinking themselves a great actor.
Through a comedic mix-up of potions, Bottom is afflicted with a donkey’s head by Puck, who simultaneously steers Titania into being infatuated with Bottom.
(Photo: A scene from THT Rep's adaptation of William Shakespeare's "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM," now playing at the BrickBox Theater in Worcester, MA. until February 14, 2026. Photo Courtesy THT Rep and the Hanover Theatre)
The entire THT Rep ensemble for "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" is seemingly put through a multitude of arduous scenes, scattered onstage effects and complex dialogue.
According to Dr. Lucie in a recent METRMag interview, when Shakespeare was writing this in 1895, he set the story in ‘Athens’ but "it is really an idea of Athens (as opposed to the actual Athens), using Athens as being more a representation of democracy than the actual city."
As with any other adaptation, there are hits and misses among the performances, but one thing always remains constant - a valiant attempt by those involved to keep the Bard's work relevant and this THT Rep cast and creative team certainly succeeds in the attempt.
That said, some of the 80s references miss the mark such as some 90s music used for atmosphere and the use of "Heelies" by Puck which was never an 80s fad (even if not intended to specifically represent an 80s fad, it still distracts).
Some in the cast have difficulty conveying the Shakespearean text, others the emotional nuance of the verbiage as it pertains to their characters.
Mind you, it is not that the actors are not doing anything that is technically wrong.
The actors, varying in experience, all seem to have a full grasp of the characters, they all seems to "speak the speeches," (as it were) perfectly as written, word-for-word, and even express the intent behind the line - but still the essence or nuance of the line itself is not achieved.
Others seem to have a masterful grasp on both.
In this particular adaptation, three performers seem to have struck that formidable, hard-to-achieve perfect balance of the above:
Janis Hudson, vibrant as "Hippolyta," Equiano Mosieri, compelling as "Oberon" and Teddy Lytle , a comedic vortex as "Bottom."
Another performance standout comes from a character that speaks little but offers up a lot of laughs with each and every re-action, and that is Daisy Jane Birch as "Snout" - especially during the "play-with-a-play" scene where Snout portrays a "Wall" with hilarious results.
(Photo: Meri Stypinski as “Titania” sits with Equiano Mosieri as “Oberon,” in a scene from THT Rep's adaptation of William Shakespeare's "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM," now playing at the BrickBox Theater in Worcester, MA. until February 14, 2026. Photo Courtesy THT Rep and the Hanover Theatre)
The analogous 80s setting, again according to Dr. Lucie, was selected for "practical reasons," meaning offering a nostalgic experience while maintaining a relevance to today, representing the ‘80s Reagan’ era, the emergence of ‘family values’ and far right conservatism opposing those needing a place to find a more open, welcoming and progressive community.
As staged, there is an effective use of the entire BrickBox Theater space, and audiences can expect a multitude of technical highlights to appreciate, as well, with the clever use of specialized lighting and sound cues.
The show repeatedly breaks the fourth wall, bringing the audience into the fun and, by the story's conclusion, all things evolve into a very party-like atmosphere that will most assuredly have many leaving the theatre with a smile...or at least wanting to crank-up Poison's "Nothin' But a Good Time."
THT Rep's "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" rocks on at the BrickBox Theater in Worcester, MA. until February 14th, 2026.
Tickets available at the Hanover Theatre Box Office, by calling # 877-571-7469 or visiting theHanovertheatre.org/event/midsummer-nights-dream/
Coming up next from THT Rep at the BrickBox Theater will be the provocative “WHO IS EARTHA MAE" beginning April 8th and running through April 19th, 2026.
For more information contact the box office at # 877-571-7469 or via email boxoffice@jmacworcester.org
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Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
“Out of this wood do not desire to go: thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.”
Set in a 1980s nightclub, this midwinter take on William Shakespeare's "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" is equal parts poetry and punk rock.
Get lost in The Wood with a pair of young lovers and a flutter of fairies.
Adapted and Directed by Dr. Kathryn Moncrief
For more information contact the box office at # 877-571-7469 or via email boxoffice@jmacworcester.org
BUY TICKETS
ABOUT THT REP
The arts play a vital role in helping individuals of all ages develop self-esteem, compassion and problem solving skills. Students who study or participate in the arts have proven academic success. They find their voice and discover new avenues for creative expression. It is the goal of THT REP to maximize a student’s social and emotional development while introducing them to theatre, dance, music and design. In addition, access to state-of-the-art equipment and hands-on training with industry professionals in our world-class venue allows students to gain real-world experience in the performing arts field.
ABOUT THE VENUE
With its industrial aesthetic and intimate seating, the BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center is perfect for fresh, sophisticated stagings of classic works.
THT REP at the BrickBox Theater
Jean McDonough Arts Center
20 Franklin Street
Worcester, MA. 01608
# 508-413-JMAC / # 877-571-SHOW (Box Office)
boxoffice@jmacworcester.org
