"A Midsummer Night's Dream" @ Portland Center Stage

Portland Center Stage's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a marvel. With a gorgeous, appropriately dreamlike sets, extraordinary actors, and a huge dose of  laughter, this is a show everyone will enjoy. There are some modern touches, most memorably a bluesy Puck, and they all work.

My favorite moments came from the Acting Troupe. Particularly James Newcomb as "Nick Bottom", the actor who thinks he can play every character in the production, as well as "Snug", played by the frequently goofy Tim True. This was my first time seeing "Midsummer" performed, so I can't state for certain, but I wager PCS's slant is much funnier than most  Everyone seems to really relish getting a laugh, and many get their turn--starting from curtain-up.....

I would especially recommend this  production for those who have limited exposure to Shakespeare and might be "afraid" of the complexity of the language, I cannot overstate the hilarity of the show.

The costumes also deserve special praise. The fairies have golden halo-like antennae, and the Donkey-Head that results from a curse placed on poor Nick Bottom is just priceless....

This is a play that brightens your mood, I would not delay in seeing it.....