Queens Midsummer no more yeilding but a dream

The Secret Theatre is one of the best kept secrets in Queens. It took me nearly twenty minutes to find the place. Once you can deecipher betwee 44th Road, 44th Street, 44th Avenue and 44th Drive, you come to the arts building that houses The Secret Theatre (located on 23rd Street between 44th Road and 44th Avenue). But The Secret Theatre is not actually in said arts building, it's down the alley just right of the arts building. And there are two productions running concurrently, so make sure you go into the correct theatre.

However, it's all worth is for the production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream which is playing in the theatre closest to the street (go up a small set of stairs to the plateau that forms the entrance to the theatre) produced by The Queens Players and directed by Katherine M. Carter.

The cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream

Ms. Carter's production was sleek without being cheap, chic without being gaudy and an all-around good time. Employing a design reminiscent of Peter Brooks' "white box" Midsummer, Carter takes us to a dreamlike no-man's land. So dreamlike, in fact, that all of her performers are dressed in pajamas! This white set (complete with flowing white columns) serves the multi-faceted purpose of indicating every setting of the play, with the help of the beautifully whimsical light design from Lisa Hufnagle.

The play concerns the forbidden love between Lysander, an Athenian youth, and Hermia, whose father Egeus wants her to marry Demetrius, beloved for Hermia's childhood friend Helena. Make sense so far? To escape the harsh Athenian law, Hermia and Lysander flee through the forest, pursued by Demetrius who is, in turn, pursued by Helena. Also in the forest are a motley crew of handymen-turned-actors, lead by Peter Quince, rehearsing a play of Pyramus and Thisbe. Got that? All of these mortals find themselves entangled in the marital feud of Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the fairies. And, in the morning, Theseus (of the Minotaur myth) will wed Hippolyta (Queen of the Amazons, from later on in the same myth). Follow?

In the central roles of the lovers, James Parenti and Katie Braden (as Demetrius and Helena) provide the more slapstick and sex-driven humor to the more pastoral and domestic humor of Joe Mullen and Angelica Duncan (as Lysander and Hermia). This does not mean, however, that the slapstick is not provided by all. Mullen must, at one point, catch Duncan as she propells herself horizontally across the stage toward a cowerring Braden.

Next up are the mechanicals, a ragged bunch of actor-wannabes, provide a far less romantic brand of comedy than the lovers. Lead by Timothy J. Cox as Peter Quince, whose power is often usurped by the dramatic Nick Bottom, played by Chris Kateff, this is about the sorriest band of crude actors with the biggest hearts anyone could ask for. The performance of Pyramus and Thisbe in the last scene of the play--always a highlight of any production--is spot on campy, ridiculous and completely honest.

Tiffany Denise Turner, Chris Kateff, Trish Phelps and Sarah King

Finally, the fairies. Mischevous creatures who take joy in screwing with mortals. The first we meet is Jeni Ahfield, deliciously malicious in the role of Robin Goodfellow, better known as Puck, quickly followed by the imposing Randy Warshaw as Oberon and the devestatingly elegant Tiffany Denise Turner as his Queen Titania. Rounding out the fairies are the delightful Trish Phelps and Sarah King (who provides beautiful ukelele music throughout her scenes with her queen).

The production is whimsical and farcical, but not bagatelle. In its seriousness, in its humor, in its honesty, it is a delight from beginning to end.

A Midsummer Night's Dream runs at The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd Street, LIC through January 3rd. Tickets can be purchased through OvationTix.