SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A play that dates back to the 16th century is about to hit the stage at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Sioux Falls.
The stage is set for William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Orpheum Theater.
“It’s one of Shakespeare’s best, it’s one of his most accessible, and it’s one of his funniest, so we decided to do this show because we thought everyone could use a laugh,” The Premiere Playhouse Managing Artistic Director Oliver Mayes said.
Mayes thought tackling Shakespeare during season 22 was worth the risk.
“Shakespeare is the great of the greats. He wrote so many things that we kind of live by and we don’t even realize that, so to kind of un-crack those scripts and unlock all the beautiful metaphors, similes, and illustrations within them is fun for our actors,” Mayes said.
“There’s a lot of research that you have to do that kind of goes into understanding the words that you’re speaking since it’s from a different time period, the words are maybe a bit more flowery and poetic, so there’s a lot of subtext that you kind of have to comb through,” Sioux Falls actor Alex Newcomb Weiland said.
Newcomb Weiland is playing the role of Hermia and says A Midsummer Night’s Dream is her favorite Shakespeare show.
“I love the contrast in the show, I love the humor in the show, I think the humor is timeless and very fun to play regardless of what era you’re setting it in,” Newcomb Weiland said.
The comedic masterpiece is more than 400 years old but will feature some original aspects, including a more contemporary setting.
“We have set it in the late 1920s of Athens, Georgia, it’s usually in Athens, Greece, so you’re maybe going to see some flapper-wear and things of that sort, get kind of a jazz ambiance to it,” Mayes said.
And the all-local cast is ready for opening night.
“Now that we have our costumes and the set, we were in rehearsals for so long and now we’ve been transported into the Orpheum, I think we’ve all even stepped up our game more so an audience will just kind of seal it for us, and so we’re really excited to share it with the rest of the community,” Newcomb Weiland said.
