Beyond its reputation for comedy, magic, and romance, A Midsummer Night’s Dream contains elements that are decidedly unsettling.
The narrative opens with an engagement born from conflict, a father threatening his daughter with death, and a flight into woods that have been ravaged by the consequences of fairy warfare.
“And thorough this distemperature we see the seasons alter… and the mazed world, By their increase, now knows not which is which.”
Given contemporary environmental crises and shifting climate patterns, the prominence of these ecological themes in Midsummer proves remarkably prescient. Restoration requires that both the supernatural and human inhabitants abandon their competitive impulses and need for control, allowing them to rebuild a livable world.
Athens’ court frames the beginning and conclusion, utilizing the park’s verdant waterfront setting as an “amphitheater.” As the young lovers evade the court’s tyrannical rulings and venture into the forest, they discover terrain ravaged by wind and flood—a landscape where salt alone persists.
Artist Marc Poirier is constructing this desolate terrain as a continuation of the imposing salt stockpiles visible near the harbor beneath the Tobin Bridge. Large salvaged timbers from the Hingham Naval Shipyard, generously provided by Poirier’s firm Longleaf Lumber, form a crib structure that echoes the pier and abutment design of Boston Harbor’s maritime infrastructure, which Eastern Salt will load with road salt to fashion this unsettling terrain.
Poirier’s training began in painting, culminating in an MFA in painting and sculpture from Columbia University School of the Arts. He subsequently established Longleaf Lumber, a Cambridge-based operation specializing in reclaimed and antique lumber, and has now synthesized these interests into expansive site-specific sculptural installations. His recent Apollinaire contributions include a multi-level maze configuration for Everyman and the Black Box theater’s signature bar. With Midsummer reaching over 5′ tall and spanning 60′ across, Poirier is operating at an unprecedented scale.
David Reiffel, serving as Sound Designer and Composer, will construct an acoustic environment featuring a full-size upright piano positioned atop the salt. This marks his 18th collaboration with Apollinaire. From the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to Boston’s SpeakEasy Stage, Reiffel’s compositions have been performed throughout the country. His recent achievement includes the Norton award for Outstanding Musical Direction. Christopher Bocchiaro handles lighting design for the play’s dual environments, while Susan Paino develops the costume designs.
A celebrated Boston comedian takes on one of theater’s most iconic comic parts.
Brooks Reeves, celebrated for his Kulygin performance in this season’s Three Sisters (earning both Norton and Irne nominations), portrays Bottom. His recent Boston work included dual roles in Love, Valor, Compassion; Christopher Ehlers of DigBoston praised it as “one of the best performances of the year.”
Attendees should prepare with blankets, beach chairs, picnic provisions to complement the waterfront setting, and comfortable walking footwear for the 2 transitions that occur during the show.
Performances are July 11-29, 2018 • Wed.-Sun. • 7:30 • Free!
PORT Park, 99 Marginal Street, on the Chelsea Waterfront.
Free parking is available on site.
Information/Directions: www.apollinairetheatre.com or (617) 887-2336.
In case of rain, call (617) 887-2336 to check status.
Running Time apx. 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 2 short intermissions to change location.