Shakespeare’s ‘Dream,’ With Twists

“Painless Shakespeare.” That’s what East L.A. Classic Theatre artistic director Tony Plana calls his company’s family-oriented productions of the Bard.

Recent shows include a mariachi “Much Ado About Nothing,” a zoot suit “Romeo and Juliet” and an MTV-salsa-style “Twelfth Night.” The company’s new romp, directed by Plana, is a boisterous “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” set in a never-was world of Aztec mythology and Spanish conquistadors.

Mythical bird spirits replace the fairy folk; Hippolyta is an Aztec princess; King Theseus and his court are Spanish nobles; and the bumbling would-be actors who perform the comical “Pyramus and Thisbe” play-within-the-play are a friar and peasant workers.

Shakespeare’s speeches are trimmed considerably but otherwise are changed only by a sprinkling of Spanish. They’re well-spoken, too, although at the mercy of the off-and-on boom-hiss of an obstreperous sound system. Children get the gist, though, judging from the laughter at the opening day’s show.

Standouts among the professional adult cast include Kevin White’s dramatic Oberon, Catherine Worth’s hilariously love-struck Helena and Michael Goodfriend as the scenery-chewing, donkey-braying Bottom. (Most roles are double cast.)

Designer John Iacovelli’s small, versatile pyramid set is picturesque against the canyon wall; composer Joey Arreguin enhances the ambience with Spanish guitar and conch shell horns.

Rita Salazar-Ashford’s costumes, though, are a mixed bag. Magic is missing in the synthetic sheen of the leotards worn by Titania, Puck and the other bird spirits. Oberon’s regal stature, however, is complemented by his peacock cape and towering feathered headdress--costumer Jeff Transki is credited as mask maker.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., L.A., Saturday at 10 a.m. (323) 461-3673. Weekday shows: May 28, 30-31, June 5-6, 9:30 a.m., call (323) 981-1710. Adults $4; children, free.