Wide-Awake ‘Dream’

“Comparisons are odorous,” says Shakespeare’s Dogberry, but sometimes they’re interesting. Sir Peter Hall’s recent staging of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Ahmanson Theatre was notable for how the dialogue was spoken, the beautiful treatment of the Bard’s poetry. Yet the production itself was flat, unexciting and oddly lifeless.

The current production of “Dream” now at Vanguard University’s Lyceum Theater suffers from the young actors’ inability to grapple with the poetry successfully, and their habit of rushing through it, often gabbling the meaning and meter. But unlike Hall’s production, this one is full of life, humor and the joy of its scenes of young love requited and unrequited.

Director Susan Berkompas has chosen for some unfathomable reason to set the town scenes in upstate New York during the Roaring ‘20s. Anachronistically, she also states in the program that this is “during the flowering of the industrial revolution.” That flowering actually took place half a century before the 1920s, but perhaps Oberon’s magic flowers can rearrange time to suit Berkompas’ fancy.

Larry Watts’ 1920s costumes are charming and the company looks very upscale in them, both the city costumes and the more imaginative garb worn by Oberon, Titania and the fairies of the forest.

Varied Success in Characterizations

Some of the smaller roles are simplistically played, without much richness or color, and the fairies are very Disney-like in tone, clicking their tongues and giggling, and their movements are standard-issue slithering. Steve Limones’ Theseus and his fiancee, Shannon Davies’ Hippolyta, are lively enough, but these are roles that are difficult to breathe life into, and these two don’t always succeed.

Christopher Tillman’s starchy Egeus is a different matter. His edge is sharp and his reading has some force. He’s even better later as Peter Quince, the organizer of the Rustics preparing a play for Theseus’ wedding. Probably the best performance of the evening is Sunny Peabody’s Bottom, though Peabody tends to overplay a bit. He’s very funny, even knows his way around the verse, and is adept at physical comedy.

The four young lovers, Stephanie Wood (Hermia), Tyler Stoops (Demetrius), Brandon Tyra (Lysander) and LaShandra Rinas (Helena), race through their dialogue, but the youthful charm they bring to these confused young lovers helps compensate.

Puck is a role often given to an actress, though it’s really a male role, and Suzee Adams makes the most of it with a sort of Mickey Rooney take on the fun Puck finds in life and in his forest misdeeds. Her master Oberon is played interestingly by Luke Weaver, with a sometimes lascivious grin that is very effective, and DeAndra Rich is excellent as a prima donna of a Titania.

* “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Lyceum Theater, Vanguard University, 55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. Thursday-Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. Ends Sunday. $10. (714) 668-6145. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.

Steve Limones: Theseus

Christopher Tillman: Egeus/Quince

Stephanie Wood: Hermia

Tyler Stoops: Demetrius

Brandon Tyra: Lysander

LaShandra Rinas: Helena

Sunny Peabody: Bottom

Suzee Adams: Puck

Luke Weaver: Oberon

DeAndra Rich: Titania

A Vanguard University Department of Theatre production of Shakespeare’s comedy. Director: Susan Berkompas. Fight choreography: Greg Mortensen. Fairy dance choreography: Ryma Stout. Scenic design: Tim Mueller. Lighting design: Chad Brook. Sound design: Trooper Kristianson. Costume design: Larry Watts. Makeup/hair design: Lia Hansen. Stage manager: Lehua Kauwe.