Seoul Shakespeare Company stages 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream'

Carolyn Kegel as Helena / Courtesy of Bret Lindquist

Seoul Shakespeare Company is ready to raise the curtain on its next production, this time a take on the popular comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

India Harper as Robin Starveling / Courtesy of Bret Lindquist

Set in Athens, the Shakespeare play written in the late 16th century consists of several subplots centered around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. The characters include the king and queen of the fairies and a mischievous sprite named Puck.

For their production, SSC decided to change the setting to combine elements of ancient Athens with 1930s New York City.

"Early on in the planning stage, I was looking at a lot of art from the 20s through the 40s, listening to music from that period, watching old films for inspiration for the setting," Martin Boswell, director of the production, told The Korea Times. "All of these choices were fun to make, and the costume, lighting and set designs that came out of it are beautiful, but it’s all really just a flavor-carrier for Shakespeare’s beautiful text."

The story follows three groups of characters: the upper-class Athenians, the working-class mechanicals who are rehearsing for a play and the supernatural fairies.

For this production, the Athenians' palace is reimagined as a "kind of Cotton Club-type nightclub in Manhattan," according to Boswell.

For the mechanicals, Boswell said he took inspiration from images of workers as seen in Diego Rivera’s murals created in New York, as well as photos such as the iconic "Lunch atop a Skyscraper."

Craig Wainwright, from left, as Peter Quince, Maria Fernanda Silva as Nick Bottom and Stephan Matthee as Francis Flute / Courtesy of Bret Lindquist

As for the forest of the magical fairy creatures, Boswell had a unique idea for that. "Where’s a good forested spot to run away to outside New York?" he said. "I thought, how about an abandoned carnival that’s been taken over by nature, where nature itself has been corrupted a bit by what was left behind? Sort of a haunted Coney Island plopped into a forest a bit further out."

Other than these changes to the setting, Boswell said they stayed as close to the original text as possible.

The role of Duke Theseus is played by Charles Jeong, artistic director at SSC. Jason Lane Cutler, producer of the play, plays Oberon, king of the fairies — or in this case, likely, the carnies.

"One thing I’m proud of with this show is that we put together a very talented cast and crew," Boswell said. "Nearly everyone in the show is pulling double-duty, acting and doing something else crucial to the production. Jamie Horan (Puck) is our sound and music designer. Amanda Conkey (Titania) is also our social media maven, and is one of our hair and makeup designers, along with Jungsoo Lee (Cobweb), our lead hair and makeup designer. Joe McPherson (Egeus/Snug), acting again after a 30-year hiatus from the stage, is also our marketing coordinator, and is helping us get more people to see this love of labor. Our production team includes our spectacular stage manager Sarah Smith, adept assistant stage manager Kat Rosner, brilliant lighting designer Amie Ko, superb set designer Grace Vogel Palmer, captivating costume designer Jiwoon Ha along with assistant designer Francesca Bujdák (who plays Hippolyta), and the amazing Anne Schill as subtitle operator."

He added, "And none of us are getting paid. Everyone is here because they love what they do."

SSC is a not-for-profit theater company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare’s plays to the stage. Past productions include "Measure for Measure" (2023), "King Lear" (2019), "The Merchant of Venice" (2018) and "The Winter’s Tale" (2017).

Jamie Horan as Puck, left, and Jason Lane Cutler as Oberon

Held at Dari Theater next to Hongik University Station in western Seoul, SSC's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" opens on April 13 and runs throughout weekends for the rest of the month.

All performances are in English with Korean subtitles. The play is appropriate for all audiences and tickets are priced at 25,000 won.

Visit seoulshakespearecompany.org for more information including show times and tickets.