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Polk County Living Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 20, 2016 6A What fools these mortals be VSC presents ‘Midsummer’ for second season, to open July 27 By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer MONMOUTH — Valley Shakespeare Company at Western Oregon University is back for its second season, this time weaving the play- wright’s most famous come- dy, inspired by the foolish- ness and craziness of love. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” opens at Western Oregon’s Leinwand outdoor stage on July 27 and runs through July 30. Director David Janoviak has re-set the play in the mid-1800s, just after the Civil War has ended. “We’re contrasting rigid, southern plantation culture against the culture of Hait- ian voodoo in Louisiana,” he said. “So you have this very rigorous culture, and the world of voodoo comes in, which is very earthy and round and spiritual in a dif- ferent way.” Janoviak has 11 years of professional experience with outdoor Shakespeare com- panies. In 2015, he was in- spired to make use of WOU’s outdoor stage for Shake- speare during the summer. This year, the show will start later — 8 p.m. — which is the same time Ore- gon Shakespeare Festival starts its productions, Janoviak said. “What’s nice about that is, the magic really starts when it gets dark,” he said. “We have this lit up stage outside.” The show runs about two hours, and as the evening draws on, it can get a little chilly, even on a warm sum- mer day. Blankets, chairs and picnics are encouraged. The cast is made up of Western Oregon students, alumni, community mem- bers and professional guest actors. Declan Hertel said per- forming outdoors is a “mas- sive challenge.” “You’ve got to be heard to have a good show,” he said. Janoviak said Rice Audito- rium’s walls provide some help acoustically, and that the actors are rising to the challenge of learning how to EMILY MENTZER/Itemizer-Observer Jeff Presler, right, and Sarah Cotter rehearse a scene from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” See the magic: What: Valley Shakespeare Company at Western Oregon University presents Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” When: July 27 through July 30, 8 p.m. Where: Leinwand outdoor stage, next to Rice Auditori- um at WOU. Admission: Free. Of note: Bring a picnic, chair and blankets to this family friendly production. use their voice healthfully and well. Belladina Starr said it’s more than just projecting vocally. “The outdoor stage pres- ents a challenge to lots of your EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer Sarah Cotter practices a scene from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Western Oregon. acting,” she said. “You have to be bigger and more expressive in everything you do, in your face and body, because every- body needs to see you.” That includes the inti- mate scenes. “To make that work, you have to scream at someone who’s less than an inch away from your face,” Starr said. “It feels insane, but it looks good.” Jeff Presler said outdoor theater forces the imagina- tion to work. “You have to accept the world,” he said. “Inside the theater, you’re not going to hear a car drive by or the neighbor mow his lawn.” In the play, three worlds collide and mesh. “We have basically three different types of music in this,” said Ollie Bergh. “We have a jug band; we have old-school Dixie hymn, and kind of a Haitian call-and- response thing.” Janoviak said the music defines the three main worlds of the play: the EMILY MENTZER/Itemizer-Observer Actors receive instructions during play rehearsals. EMILY MENTZER/Itemizer-Observer Sarah Cotter and Jeff Presler work on showing emotion through movements for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” world of the court, the world of the forest, and the world of the mechanicals. The play is perhaps the most family friendly one Shakespeare wrote, Janoviak added. “It’s a great way to intro- duce your kids to Shake- speare,” he said. “It’s a farce. Everything is taken to the extreme.” That doesn’t take away from the entertainment value for Shakespeare buffs. “Every show you see is different,” said Sarah Cotter. “So even if you think you know ‘Midsummer,’ you should come see it, because it’s going to be different from anything you’ve seen before.”