Although the high school setting may be different than what you remember from the William Shakespeare classic, the story remains the same; and once the 1950s music kicks in, Burien Little Theatre’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” really rocks.

“Midsummer” kicks off spring with the right note in Burien Little Theatre’s 2009-2010 “escape” themed season. The classic romantic Shakespeare comedy is retold in a musical adapted by renowned Seattle actor/director Arne Zaslove, and featuring 1950s rock and roll.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” opens at Burien Little Theatre on Friday, Feb. 12th, and will run through March 21st. Tickets are $7-$20 online and $17-$20 at the box office.

During the month of February all student tickets are available for $10, thanks to a grant from the City of Burien (read our previous coverage here).

In addition, Burien Little Theatre will be hosting free bonus readings of Donald Margulies’ Dinner with Friends, a bittersweet comedy about marriage, during the run.

A performance schedule including dates, times and ticket prices is available at www.burienlittletheatre.com or call the ticket office at 206-242-5180.

The Story and Production
Arne Zaslove opens his 1950s rock and roll adaptation of the Bard’s classic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the gymnasium of Athens High School, on graduation day, 1957. This comedy of magic potions, misled lovers and mistaken identities works well in Zaslove’s high school setting, complete with toe-tapping, finger-snapping numbers from the 1950s that include “Don’t Be Cruel,” “I Will Follow Him,” and Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender,” among others.

Updated in 2008, Zasloves’ seamless adaptation from Shakespeare’s timeless setting to the more contemporary 1950s allows the audience to experience the characters in familiar roles. In Zaslove’s version, Theseus is the mature high school principal and the lovely Hippolyta is the friendly and well liked drama/gym teacher. Lysander, the hero, is described as “Mister Popularity,” and Hermia is cute, the quintessential homecoming queen. There’s also a knockout, a charmer, a clown: all characters familiar in every high school yearbook. The score, sung by the characters, allows them to tell the story in a contemporary, upbeat way, in a language the audience can relate to – rock ’n’ roll.

Since its premiere in 1968 when Zaslove was teaching theater classes at the University of Washington, this musical version of A Midsummer’s Night Dream has offered audiences a unique, current staging of one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. And, as Lysander so aptly states in the play, while “the course of true love never did run smooth,” in this adaptation it never sounded better!

The Cast
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is directed by Maggie Larrick and features the diverse acting talents of:

• Claire Fernandez (Starveling/Fairy Mustardseed)
• Toni Guidry (Helena)
• Kris Hambrick (Puck)
• Russ Kay (Peter Quince/Egeus)
• John Mallory (Demetrius)
• Kate Moyer (Titania)
• Jennifer Pierce (Snug the Joiner/Fairy Peasblossom)
• Lynne Randall (Hermia)
• Kevin Schilling (Francis Flute)
• Caleb Slavens (Lysander)
• Sara Sorden (Snout/Fairy Cobweb)
• Don Speirs (Nick Bottom)
• James “Tuq” Tucker (Theseus)
• Brad Walker (Oberon)
• Laura York (Hippolyta)

Free readings of Dinner with Friends
During the run of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Burien Little Theater will also host free Saturday afternoon readings of Dinner with Friends, a bittersweet comedy about marriage, fidelity, infidelity and friendship written by Donald Margulies. Please join Burien Little Theatre at 2 pm on the following Saturdays to enjoy this unique opportunity:

• Feb. 20
• March 6
• March 20

About Burien Little Theatre
Exciting live theater has been a tradition in Burien since 1955. Incorporated in 1980, Burien Little Theatre (BLT) has been a leading producer of quality live theater serving residents of the Seattle and south Puget Sound areas.

Burien Little Theatre is committed to being an entertainment leader by producing intriguing professional shows. The company’s mission is to treat audiences to productions of the highest artistic integrity that excite, engage and involve both the local and expanding theatrical communities in the Puget Sound region.

BLT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity and operates on revenue from ticket sales, donations, grants, sponsorships and volunteers.

Schedule for A Midsummer Night’s Dream:

• February 12 at 8:00 p.m. Friday – Opening Night – Let’s HOP!
• February 13 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday
• February 14 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee - $7 Dollar Sunday
• February 19 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• February 20 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday
• February 21 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee
• February 26 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• February 27 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday
• February 28 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee
• March 5 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• March 6 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday
• March 7 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee
• March 12 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• March 13 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday
• March 14 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee
• March 19 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• March 20 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday
• March 21 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee – It’s dawn and the dream is over – although you are still humming the tunes!

Theater Location:

The Theater at the Burien Community Center Building
425 SW 144th Street
Burien, WA 98166-1545
(206) 242-5180

The Community Center is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of 4th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 146th Street in Burien.
Directions available at www.burienlittletheatre.com.

Ticket Prices & Packages:

ONLINE TICKET PRICES: 
Purchase online and save!

• General Senior/Student
First Weekend:        $16.00        $13.00
Middle Weekends:        $18.00        $15.00
Last Weekend:        $20.00        $17.00
• TICKETS AT THE BOX OFFICE: 

                General        Senior/Student 
All Shows:            $20.00        $17.00
• Special Discount: During the month of February, Student Tickets are just $10 (City of Burien Grant)
• NEW THIS SEASON: SEVEN DOLLAR SUNDAY 
The first Sunday Matinee of every run is just $7.00!
• PLAY with YOUR FOOD DINNER PACKAGE: This package includes a two-course meal at Mark Restaurant & Bar plus a ticket to the show; cost is $35 per person.

To Purchase Tickets:

• Show tickets may be purchased online at www.burienlittletheatre.com or call 206-242-5180.
• Fabulous Four-Packs are available for the 2009-2010 Season!

For the third year in a row, Burien Arts is sponsoring two free Shakespeare in the Park performances at Dottie Harper Park – “King John” on Saturday, July 25th and “The Comedy of Errors” on Saturday, August 1st.

Both performances will begin at 7pm.

GreenStage, the Puget Sound’s premier outdoor Shakespeare company, will be performing the plays at Dottie Harper Parks’ “bowl,” and all are welcome to bring a blanket, picnic dinner and enjoy the shows for no charge! GreenStage has been performing in regional parks for 21 years, and Burien Arts says they’re “thrilled to be able to bring such a notable theatre company to our local audience!”

The July 25th performance of “King John” offers the opportunity to see this rarely produced play in an intimate, exciting atmosphere.  In “King John,” the 13th Century has just begun and the English crown is being contested – both France and Austria are threatening war. Disagreement is at the core of a story filled with political intrigue, assassination plots, unfortunate accidents and the never-ending conflict between England and France. Combining the ruthlessness of Richard III, the antics and moral uncertainty of Hamlet and the raw familial relationships of King Lear, you may find yourself in the world of a play that seems strangely familiar.

On August 1, GreenStage returns to give Burien residents the opportunity to relish in the distressing events of a life that is not yours with “The Comedy of Errors.” Forget what you know and delight in what you see! With two pairs of identical twins wandering around the same town, misunderstandings and confusion are the order of the day. Antipholus of Syracuse travels to a foreign land to find himself well known, while Antipholus of Ephesus becomes a stranger in his own home. Shakespeare’s idealized adaptation of a farce by Plautus is a dizzying comedy classic that anyone can lose themselves within. With a gender swapped cast, this production invites you to go with what you know, trust in what you see, and believe in whatever you wish!

Burien Arts is a local non-profit with a more than forty-year history and a commitment to bring innovative and creative arts programming to local residents. In addition to sponsoring the Shakespeare in the Park performances, Burien Arts also runs the Burien Art Gallery, produces the Highline Vintage Jazz Festival and partners with other civic and non-profit organizations to ensure the arts thrive in our community.

Dottie Harper Park is located at SW 146th and 4th Ave, and all performances will take place in the park’s “bowl.” Parking is readily available in the old Burien Library parking lot.

For more information about these performances, or about Burien Arts, please contact Erin Williamson at Burien Arts, or visit their website at www.burienarts.org.

Tonight at 7pm, Burien Arts Association’s FREE Performing Arts Series presents Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” performed by Greenstage at Dottie Harper Park, located next to the Burien Library at SW 146th and 4th Ave SW (map below).

From the Greenstage website:

“If music be the food of love, play on!”

Shipwrecked in the land of Illyria, her brother lost at sea, Viola finds herself in the middle of a bizarre love triangle.

Employed by Duke Orsino, and disguised as a boy, she is sent on an embassy of love to Countess Olivia, who finds herself smitten by this intriguing messenger.

Love, mistaken identities, disguises, revenge, tomfoolery, sword fighting, passion, and music – sweet music, make Twelfth Night one of Shakespeare’s funniest and most complete comedies.

According to Erin Williamson, Executive Director of the Burien Arts Association, everyone is encouraged to “Bring a chair and a picnic dinner, and enjoy!”

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