Foothill students stage classic 'Dream'

The students of Foothill School in Oregon House will present William Shakespeare's fantastical comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on Saturday and Sunday at the amphitheater situated behind Alcouffe Community Center.

The play's interlocking plotlines feature several pairs of lovers who are manipulated by the fairies who inhabit a forest just outside of Athens, Greece.

"Shakespeare set the play in the forest outside Athens, but I don't think it's because anything about the play is Greek necessarily," said director Mari Reeves.

"I think he's telling a love story, saying that love is crazy and we are all fickle — we love one moment and hate the next — and even the people we love the most we can be dreadful to," she said.

"It starts off with the king and queen of the fairies, Oberon (Leandro Capuano) and Titania (Emma Jilesen). They are arguing, and because they are arguing, everything around them in nature and the world is wrong and off," Reeves said.

"So the Duke of Athens (Oliver Altamirano) and his betrothed — Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons (Euridica Cominotto) — also aren't getting along. Everyone seems to be fighting.

"The play takes them on a journey, and by the end of the play, they all resolve their differences and they are in love with the right person, and everybody ends with laughter," Reeves said.

"This little naughty fairy, Puck (Anna Galvin), also plays a lot of tricks on people. So there's lots of confusion due to the naughty fairy.

"But there's this great line: 'Joy, gentle friends! joy and fresh days of love /Accompany your hearts.' That's at the end of the play. So everybody ends up with their proper love," Reeves said.

She said that the cast ranges in age from 4 to 10 years old. "I think these children learn so much about great literature, about memorization, about stretching their minds to include that many lines when they are young. The thing about doing this while they are little, their minds can actually hold more and more as years go on," Reeves said.

The cast includes Blake Altamirano, Lisa Armstrong, Sofia Bruisma, Leandro Capuano, Athos Cominotto, Dica Cominotto, Carlota Day, Agustin Fleisher, William Galvin, Hanna Helft, Rosie Helft, Anelyssa Kuy, Fiona McCullogh, Asher Perla, Margot Roa and Journee Walker.

The best way to prepare yourself to watch this production outdoors, Reeves suggested, is for people in the audience to wear mosquito repellent and bring a sweater or wrap to put on if the evening gets cool.

"Just get ready to smile a lot. I think people will just have a good time watching these kids. It's not like when you go to a professional play — and in some ways, it's better," she said.

"You will never regret seeing it. It's delicious," she added. "We love it because it's outdoors and it's magical, but it's also human. There are so many human elements to it."

CONTACT Susan Benitez at sbenitez@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4773. Find her on Facebook at /ADFeatures or on Twitter at @adfeatures.