TRINITY-PAWLING PRESENTS A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

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On May 18th & 19th, under the brilliant direction of Kent Burnham, the Trinity-Pawling Drama Society brought William Shakepeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to life and enchanted audiences with their humor, passion, and playfulness. The comedy portrays the events surrounding the marriage of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, the former queen of the Amazons. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest, in which most of the play is set.

At first glance, audiences were swept up in the magic seen in the creative costumes and set. Momi Antonio-Barnes’s talent for costume design was abundantly clear as the actors complemented the script and scenery in chic city style and fairy-like splendor. Adam Dinsmore’s ’91 set design was equally impressive and not only gave the actors an inviting stage but the audience an enticing visual backdrop, as well. It was the actors, though, that brought it all to life.

Led by seniors Joe Webber (Bottom/Pyramus) and Nate Tanner (Puck), the cast delighted the crowd with not only their energy but with their ability to make Shakespeare’s play accessible. Oftentimes, Shakespeare’s works are hard to translate to a modern-day audience. This was not the case, though. Webber, whose stage presence is commanding and electrifying, provided many of the laughs in Shakespeare’s comedy, while Tanner brought out Puck’s impish, devious, and curious qualities with precision. The supporting cast was equally talented. In her first production with Trinity-Pawling, Layla McDonald, a sophomore from Brewster H.S., wowed the audience as Titania and was aided by her mischievous fairies amusingly played by Callia Ferraris, Arianne Gonzalez, Jessica Tocci, and Molly Wolf. Opposite McDonald was Trinity-Pawling sophomore Solomon Hess as Oberon. Hess is quickly making himself a leading actor and has a bright future ahead of him; his interpretation of Oberon was a pleasure to watch. Fellow sophomores, Rodger Ecker and Ben Yoon were just as spectacular. As Demetrius and Lysander respectively, they played opposite their love interests – Hermia (played by a charming Cara Leahy) and Helena (played by an alluring Eilis Barrick) – with much humor, humility, and honesty. They, too, will be a pleasure to watch in the coming years. Finally, the troupe of amateur actors, led by the always-magnetic Gianna-Marie Torres, benefited from performances by Lucas Hughes ’20 and newcomers Will DePalma ’18, Kyle Miller ’18, Abdallah Bekhiet ’18, and Tim Colmey ’18, who each brought his own charisma. Additionally, Harrison Salisbury ’20 and Jessica Tocci (Pawling H.S.) both made their presence known on stage when their characters were called upon.

This year, in theater, was a special one and the Trinity-Pawling community and beyond should be very excited for what is to come under Kent Burnham’s direction. Mr. Burnham is doing great things for the theater program, and his energy for theater knows no bounds! The shows this year – Almost, MainePeter and the Star Catcher, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream – inspired audiences and were a sign that Trinity-Pawling theater is better than ever.

Watch the full production here!