Live Oak Theatre and Conservatory’s little band of players, ages 8 through 19, are celebrating all that can go wrong when you mix four Athenian lovers with a mischievous fairy entrusted with a bottle of love potion.
A total of twenty-eight students will perform in the Conservatory’s Youth Theatre production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a comedic play written by William Shakespeare over 400 years ago.
The play is a whimsical comedy set in a forest near Athens. It follows intertwining storylines of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors (the “rude mechanicals”), and a magical fairy world.
“Live Oak Theatre is thrilled that the students have enrolled in this production,” said Vince Vanni, spokesperson for the Live Oak Theatre & Conservatory. “I just attended the rehearsal and it’s adorable to watch these young students reciting Shakespeare.”
“This semester, we were amazed to have almost 80 students sign up for youth theater, said Vanni. “We realized that we would need two programs to accommodate them as we already had massive interest in Frozen Jr., So when I spoke to my students about an opportunity to learn more about acting through Shakespeare, I was delighted to learn that almost 30 students… ages eight to 19… were interested,” he explained.
He added that “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is the perfect “foil” to “Frozen Jr.” “Both casts are developing a standard of performance in two different areas — demonstrating the quality of each cast’s performance and giving our Conservatory the opportunity to demonstrate how much our students have learned in the many, many different areas of the performing arts.”
Live Oak Theatre’s decision to include the study of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets is making the Bard even more accessible to students of a younger age.
“I myself have been so surprised at how much these kids have progressed — in their ability to act, articulate, express themselves,” he said.
“We teach so many different things at Live Oak, said Vanni. “Go to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/LiveOakTheatre and see a video of nine-year-old Vera Loya doing a drum solo that will blow your mind. She is also one of my acting students.”
Seats are now available for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Adults $25, $10 for children 13 and under with the purchase of an adult seat. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be performed one weekend only, Thursday through Sunday, May 15, 16, 17, and 18.
All performances are at the Carol and Frank Morsani Center for the Arts, 21030 Cortez Boulevard, Brooksville, Florida 34601. The Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening shows are at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 2:30 p.m. Doors open approximately 30 minutes before showtime.
To reserve seating, go to https://www.liveoaktheatre.org/current-production or email [email protected] or call 352-593-0027.
Most famous line
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
The course of true love never did run smooth…
