‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ coming to CSN as part of SchoolFest

Love at first sight causes all kinds of trouble in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

The Utah Shakespeare Festival has performances scheduled at 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at the Nicholas J. Horn Theatre at the College of Southern Nevada's Cheyenne campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave.

The director, Melinda Pfundstein, attended Las Vegas High School and started with the USF in 1995 as an actor. Having directed a few "little things here and there," this will mark her "first official directing gig," she said.

Las Vegas Academy graduate Kristen Henley will play the mischievous Puck, who mistakenly puts a love potion on the wrong set of eyelids.

"Puck is just a really fun role," Henley said. "It's not something that I necessarily would get to play all that often. Most of the time a male is chosen. I just thought I'd shoot for it. It's a really great character and play to explore."

Performing this play on this stage will be a homecoming of sorts for Henley. She saw her first Shakespeare play on the same stage 10 years ago as a seventh-grader.

"I saw 'Midsummer' at (the College of Southern Nevada)," Henley said. "That kind of opened my mind up to it. It was kind of a spark."

The USF also incorporates a teaching aspect into its tour. The actors plan to perform 12 shows for about 3,600 local students through Feb. 10 as part of CSN's SchoolFest. Those performances will be followed by a question-and-answer session and workshops. Students will learn from the actors about on-stage combat, improvisation and Shakespearean text.

The Las Vegas performances are part of a 14-week tour through Utah, Nevada, Arizona and Idaho, with more than 60 performances scheduled as part of USF's Shakespeare-in-the-Schools program.

Simplicity is a staple for the USF. Seven actors will play the 22 roles in "Midsummer." Sets and props need to be easy to set up and take down in order to be transported. Last year's production of "Macbeth" had four actors and used gardening tools for props. The set was two ladders with a sheet hanging between them.

Pfundstein did not want to give too much away but said this year's set is special.

"The set has really become our A factor," she said. "It is still simple in terms of takedown and setup, but it packs a punch. It's really beautiful."

Another feature of USF plays is their efficiency. Each play is condensed into 75 minutes. Henley believes it will make Shakespeare more accessible for some audience members.

"I like the 75 minutes because you really hit the important stuff, and it's real obvious what that is," Henley said. "For certain audiences, it's easier for them.

"Sometimes you do miss the full text. It's Shakespeare. You really do want to do the full play because there's so much to explore."

She has come a long way since her first acting gig, which, she recalled, was as a talking carrot in a second-grade nutrition play. Henley wants to be a working actor and eventually a cast member on "Saturday Night Live."

Henley said she enjoys Pfundstein's take on the play because of its "honesty."

"A lot of productions of 'Midsummer' like to sprinkle on a lot of fluff and extra humor," Henley said. "The play has its own humor. Melinda's taking a really honest approach to the play, which is refreshing. Sometimes these characters say awful things."

Pfundstein said it is a great platform for a first-time director.

"There's a little bit in 'Midsummer' for everyone," Pfundstein said. "We're dealing with the same themes in all great plays and literature. It's love and hate and revenge. All of those are great things to watch."

Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 651-5483.

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 224-5524.