By Marilyn Jozwik
It’s been many long pandemic months since Voices Found mounted one of its patented high-energy, highly entertaining productions.
During that time, this cast must have been hoarding their talents because their presentation of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is an explosion of joyous passion. More than a play, this is a celebration.
The beauty of Voices Found is that you can always expect the unexpected – something surprising in every performance. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a quirky show to begin with, so it was right in this group’s wheelhouse.
Besides putting their own distinctive mark on this fun fantasyland of a show, directed by Sarah Zapiain, this cast adds tons of movement, perfect pauses, humorous asides and effective props, plus some nicely placed modern tunes to keep this show fresh.
I mean, who would expect to hear a kazoo solo of “My Heart Will Go On” from the movie “Titanic” during a soliloquy?
Lysander (Grace DeWolff), left, and Hermia (Haley Ebinal) share a tender moment in a scene from Voice Found Repertory’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.”
About 15 minutes before the show starts, actors cavort during a handful of classic pop tunes to set the stage for the show including “With a Little Help from My Friends,” “Jolene,” and “Jesse’s Girl,” all performed with an organic ease and verve. Maya Danks handles music direction. With a couple guitars (Ben Yela and Brittany Haut), ukulele, kazoo and bongo (Hannah Kubiak) and other percussion instruments, the group intersperses pop songs to keep the show relevant.
Costumes of T-shirts and jeans, sneakers, short dresses and spandex also gives the show a youthful vibe.
In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Shakespeare takes characters from Greek mythology on a whirlwind of a fantasy thanks to the mischievous Puck (Kyle Conner), who mistakenly dispenses love potions. Love is in the air with couples finding it, losing it and, sometimes, finding it again.
Theseus (Brandon Haut), Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta (Amber Weissert) are engaged to be married, while Lysander (Grace DeWolff) and Hermia (Haley Ebinal) find a roadblock to their relationship and must escape Athens. Demetrius (Phillip Steenbekkers), too, loves Hermia, but is relentlessly stalked by Helena (Maya Danks). Puck’s mistakes scramble the love lives as the couples end up in a wooded fairyland headed by Titania (Weissert) and Oberon (Brandon Haut). Recounting the strange events, all the young lovers think they were just dreaming.
In the meantime, Quince (Kubiak) is preparing a play to present at the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. The play’s preparations and the actual “performance” are hilarious, thanks to the relentless chewing of scenery by Nick Bottom (Yela), who thinks that every line must carry the utmost emotion.
No one dies, love is found and kept and everyone appears to live happily ever after. Hard to believe it’s Shakespeare.
This is a wonderful cast, from top to bottom, with great chemistry and engagement. I especially enjoyed the play within a play, performed by (as Puck calls them) “rude mechanicals,” a group of tradesmen headed by Bottom. Yela as Bottom is like a tornado, whirling around the stage as he rehearses, and later presents, the play – a sort of “Romeo and Juliet” – in a dizzying array of exaggerated characterizations. Yela’s over-the-top performance effectively turns the serious play into comedy for both the real audience and the play’s audience.
I was also charmed by the rest of the play’s troupe: Hannah Kubiak, Brittany Haut, Kazoua Thao, Alexis Furseth and Jessica Trznadel, who all doubled as fairies. Just so much fun to watch.
Brandon Haut commands his roles of Theseus and Oberon, and pairs well with Weissert’s queenly roles of Hippolyta and Titania. As the playful Puck, Conner, who also play Egeus, is pure delight.
I really enjoyed the scene after the misplaced potions find Lysander and Demetrius in love and in trouble with Hermia and Helena. The insults fly and tempers flare as members of this foursome clownishly, and hilariously, clash.
This is such a high energy romp -- with players using every inch of the stage, the aisles and even audience members -- and a great way to introduce anyone who thinks Shakespeare is boring.
There’s not a dull moment in this show.
If You Go
Who: Voices Found Repertory
What: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
When: Through Sept. 12
Where: Inspiration Studios, 1500 S. 73rd St., West Allis
Info: email voicesfoundrep@gmail.com