It’s been one impressive 90th season for the Community Players of Concord.
From classic shows like the Wizard of Oz and The Hunchback of Notre Dame to the lesser known run of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and the rare beyond the main stage production of Kid Cult Cosmology at Hatbox Theatre, the Players really know how to put on a celebratory season.
But it’s not over quite yet, as lovers of Shakespeare, comedies and stories within a story won’t want to miss this weekend’s performances of Shakespeare in Hollywood at the Concord City Auditorium.
Now for those of you who aren’t big fans of Shakespeare, don’t immediately write this show off. That’s because this actually isn’t a Shakespeare play.
The way director Betty Lent described it is that “it’s really a play about a movie about a play.” Let us explain.
The play, written by Ken Ludwig, centers around when celebrated Austrian theatre director Max Reinhardt (Paul Smith) was persuaded to turn his smash stage production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream into a movie. – with a twist. What would happen if two of the play’s fairies, Oberon (king of the fairies) and Puck (his mischievous servant who loves pranking mortals), somehow came to life, walked onto the movie set, were mistaken for substitute actors and cast to play themselves?
“It’s really interesting, the idea,” Lent said. “(Ludwig) loves his Shakespeare and knows his Shakespeare, but it’s really a farce. It’s supposed to be hilarious.”
A central idea in Shakespeare’s play involves a magic potion wielded by Puck, played by Paula Demers, at time under the direction of Oberon (Greg Fischer) which, when applied to the eyelids of a sleeping person, causes them to fall in love with the first living thing they see upon waking up. So what would happen if these fairies, smitten by the glitz and glamour of show biz, gladly assume their “star” parts, while dipping into their magic love potion now and again? In other words, what happens when you mix 1930’s “movie magic” with the magic of fairyland? The answer is one fast-moving and hilarious performance you won’t want to miss.
“There’s a lot of lines from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, so the people who play Shakespeare characters needed to have a good grasp of Shakespeare,” Lent said. “And there are some bits in there that we added.”
This is a show that was first pitched by Lent three years ago, and it was only last year that the play was chosen for production. The cast of 19 do all the set changes, so scenes melt in and out, with no pauses in between. And a funny little tidbit is that Lent, who is the drama director at Coe-Brown Academy, hadn’t directed a Players show since 2003 – when she did A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
So while it has plenty of Shakespearean references, quotes, misquotes and in-jokes, even if you’re not a Shakespeare enthusiast, you’ll enjoy this final show in the Players 90th season.
“There’s even a lot of historical background,” Lent said.
Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m, and Sunday at 2 p.m., at the Audi. Tickets and information are available at communityplayersofconcord.org and the Audi Box Office. Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for children 17 and under and seniors. There’s also a $2 per ticket discount for online purchases before Wednesday.
“It’s really an entertaining piece,” Lent said. “But you’ve got to think about it, listen and pay attention.”
