Students stage one of Shakespeare’s most popular and fanciful plays

North Central College presents William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” featuring student actors with direction by guest director Kathryn Walsh.

Four performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will begin at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15, 16 and 18 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 19 in the College’s theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St. Tickets are $10/adults and $8/students and senior citizens; call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix.

Composed in the late 1500s, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. The story portrays adventures of love and fantasy with a colorful array of characters and has been performed around the world for centuries.

“‘Midsummer’ is a comedy, but it’s funny precisely because the characters are grappling with life and death stakes, like who am I, who loves me, will we make it?” says Walsh, a Chicago-based freelance theatre director. “The forest and the fairies, which are very human yet immortal, enable the Athenians who enter to see the world with new eyes—the spells, the darkness of the trees conspire to cause much confusion. But in shifting perspective, they discover new truths.”

The plot of the play remains the same in Walsh’s rendition and brings the audience a simple, but gorgeous visual world that transports them to a place where Shakespeare’s expansive language can be heard. Walsh credits the “incredibly brave and heartfelt work of the young actors, who are committed to the true and terrifying journey of being lost in the woods and finding themselves again.”

The cast features (role, actor, town, year, major):

Hermia: Samantha Hess of Decatur, Mich., a junior majoring in musical theatre and finance
Helena: Taylor Calderone of Mishawaka, Ind., a senior majoring in sociology and theatre
Lysander: Tina Naponelli of Crystal Lake, a senior majoring in theatre
Demetrius: Mark Yacullo of Naperville, a junior majoring in musical theatre
Puck: Maddie DePorter of Orion, Ill., a senior majoring in theatre and global studies
Titania: Olivia Crary of New Glarus, Wis., a senior majoring in theatre
Oberon: Colleen DeRosa of Downers Grove, a junior majoring in theatre and speech communication
Fairy I: Lillian Baldwin of Chicago, a freshman majoring in theatre
Fairy II: Carrie Anderson of Bolingbrook, a sophomore majoring in political science
Fairy III: Melissa Claussen of Montgomery, a freshman majoring in music
Bottom: Michael Ermel of Northbrook, a junior majoring in theatre
Quince: Jack Morsovillo of Franklin Park, a sophomore majoring in theatre
Flute: Erik Burke of Monroe, Mich., a senior majoring in theatre
Starveling: Maddie Burke of Monroe, Mich., a sophomore majoring in musical theatre
Snug: Emily Salomone of Oak Lawn, a freshman majoring in political science
Snout: Christopher Corrigan of Naperville, a freshman majoring in theatre
Theseus: Enya Wenk of Naperville, a junior majoring in musical theatre
Hippolyta: Eve Bowman of Plainfield, a senior majoring in musical theatre
Egeus, Fairy IV: Carlye Pillash of Streator, a senior majoring in psychology and theatre

North Central College’s 2014-2015 Fine and Performing Arts Season is partially sponsored by season supporters, including BMO Harris, Casa by Charleston, The DuPage Community Foundation, Grant Thornton, J.P. Morgan, Main Street Promenade, Marquette Properties, Monarch Landing, Nicor Gas, Ryan Hill Realty, U.S. Bank Private Client Reserve and Water Street Development.