“A Midsummer Night Scream” reviewed by Frank Meccia

Dimitri, played by Luke McGreevy, is the groom who brings his friends to his best friend’s run-down cabin. Hayden Lane-Davies plays his best friend, Sam, who has a secret—or maybe a couple of them. Samantha Buckley plays Mia, the bride-to-be. And, as every good horror movie requires, there is a woman who screams—and Mia has plenty of opportunities.

Then there are Dimitri’s two friends. Nick, played by Drew Slager, is the film-studies guy who knows everything about horror movies. I have to make one observation about Slager: despite playing the stereotypical nerd, his degree from Northwestern is in Cognitive Science. That doesn’t necessarily make him a nerd—it just makes him one very well-organized graduate!

Conner O’Locklin plays Xander, another member of the group, and as the story unfolds, we discover that these characters are much more connected than they initially appear.

So how does all of this connect to Shakespeare?

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy about four young lovers, a group of amateur actors and mischievous fairies whose lives collide in a magical forest outside Athens. Otherworld takes those basic ingredients and drops them into an entirely different kind of forest—one that feels like it belongs in an ’80s slasher movie.

Jack Antonio plays Puck, or more accurately in this production, a kind of fairy and court jester who helps guide the audience through what is happening. Marvo Oldham plays Oberon, the king of the forest, who is seeking revenge and justice after the princess refuses to marry the man he has chosen for her.

In this version, that conflict becomes Mia’s refusal to marry Dimitri because she is in love with Xander. Because she knows Dimitri’s true love is not her.

Then there is Tikani, the witch of the forest, who wants to become mortal. These characters and conflicts may sound very different from Shakespeare’s original, but the connections are there—and surprisingly, they work.

That is what makes A Midsummer Night Scream so much fun. Director Tiffany Keane Schaefer, who also wrote the play and designed the set, has managed to bring two very different theatrical worlds together without losing the essence of either one. You get Shakespeare, ’80s horror, modern relationships, supernatural characters, comedy and plenty of blood.

And yes, there is blood.

Fight director Sam Campos deserves credit for making the violence look frighteningly real. At one point, I was watching a fight and thinking, “Did he really just get punched?” Even the bloody nose looked convincing. The fights aren’t simply thrown into the production for effect—they help create the tension you expect from a horror film.

Mike McShane’s lighting design also plays an important role in creating the atmosphere. The lighting helps transform the woods and cabin into a place where you know something is lurking just around the corner.

A Midsummer Night Scream may run a little long, but the pieces eventually come together, and by the end, the Shakespeare connection becomes surprisingly clear. What could have been a gimmick turns into an entertaining mash-up of two genres that probably shouldn’t work together—but somehow do.

And the timing couldn’t be better.

A Midsummer Night Scream runs through November 1, making it a perfect Halloween-season theatre experience. Otherworld Theatre has also moved into its new home at the Greenhouse Theater, giving the company more space than its previous location.

The Greenhouse Theater is located at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Discounted parking is available nearby at the Lincoln Common Garage, 2316 N. Lincoln Ave.

Tickets are $37 and are available through the Otherworld Theatre box office at www.otherworldtheatre.org.

https://purchase.greenhousetheater.org/EventAvailability?EventId=368

Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.  THRU November 1st

So, if you like Shakespeare but also enjoy a good horror movie, A Midsummer Night Scream may be exactly what you are looking for. It takes a story that is more than 400 years old, throws it into the world of ’80s slasher films, adds a modern twist—and somehow makes the whole thing work.

Want Shakespeare? Want to be scared? Want to laugh? Head down to the Greenhouse Theater this Halloween season.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click on “A Midsummer Night’s Scream”.