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| Oberon's (Ben Dingle) mischief has led to Titania (Sarah Levy) falling for the ass-headed Bottom (Craig Alan). (Nick Pearce Photo) |
In the 麻豆传媒 Arts Centre, a web of bare steel scaffolding is being erected by workers in hard hats. It鈥檚 hard to believe this stage will host fairyland when Dal鈥檚 fourth-year theatre students present A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream on the completed set. In this brisk-at-best Nova Scotian spring, it鈥檚 even harder to believe that Dal Theatre鈥檚 production of Dream will be set in Halifax 鈥� at 麻豆传媒, to be precise. Professor Peter Perrina鈥檚 set is based on the chemistry building.
PHOTO ESSAY: Photos of A Midsummer Night's Dream by Nick Pearce
And that鈥檚 not the only eyebrow raiser: this Dream version takes place a quantum-leap into the future. 鈥淗ow can I make this last show as fun as possible for a graduating class?鈥� says director Rob McClure with a wide grin. 鈥�2015. Let鈥檚 try that!鈥�
It鈥檚 an irreverent approach, but Shakespeare wouldn鈥檛 mind. The Bard and the acting professor go way back. One of Prof. McClure鈥檚 first professional jobs was as Lysander in A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream, and since then has performed in theatres as diverse as the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and Second City.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful for me to see how much they鈥檝e grown,鈥� says Prof. McClure, who directed A History of American Film last year. And, where Shakespeare hasn鈥檛 anticipated the needs and talents of the students, Prof. McClure has helped him along, inserting elements of belly dancing and drumming into the production to showcase the actors鈥� abilities. He鈥檚 still looking for a spot in the script to sneak in some martial arts. Besides that, 鈥淚鈥檝e made Flute the bellows-mender into Flute the coffee-maker. He鈥檚 a barista.鈥� Similarly, a tinker is now a drummer; he imagines the human characters of Dream as some of the many craftspeople in Nova Scotia.
But for all the fun, a serious undercurrent runs under all the innovations. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a yearning for the spiritual,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he Greeks had it right鈥� the gods lived amongst them鈥� We鈥檝e lost that now.鈥�
A change in scene hasn鈥檛 made the material any easier. 鈥淚 think Shakespeare, especially with Dream鈥� is always a challenge. It鈥檚 a challenge to make it real.鈥�
Still, Prof. McClure鈥檚 unconventional approach is evident in how he鈥檚 taught the students. 鈥淚 had exercises where we kicked boxes on the final word of the line,鈥� he laughs. 鈥淭he important information in a Shakespeare line is often at the end.鈥� The fact that he鈥檚 taught the students before, however, gives him an edge. 鈥淲e have a shorthand.鈥�
I half-jokingly opine that the DalTheatre production 鈥� 鈥�Blade Runner meets Ancient Greece,鈥� in Prof. McClure鈥檚 words 鈥� sounds very entertaining. At that, he breaks again into his infectious grin. 鈥淵eah,鈥� he chuckles. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to seeing it myself.鈥�
Rebecca Schneidereit is a second-year arts student majoring in English.