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Arguably Shakespeare‘s most purely entertaining play, A Midsummer Night‘s Dream is being presented this week at the University of Waterloo‘s Humanities Theatre in a production that is joyously energetic, lustily imaginaâ€" tive and delightfully provocative. Vic Stanton Chronicle Special Presented by the UW Drama Group, under the direction of William Chadâ€" wick, the production is beguiling in its visual staging and stimulating in its robust performances. The play is early Shakespearean, was written as an Elizabethan court enterâ€" tainment and combines fantasy, roâ€" mance and buffoonery through four different but interconnected plots. The setting is ostensibly ancient Athens, or more accurately the playwright‘s highly subjective concept of that Greek city and environs. r Chadwick has come up with an environment that is a kind of past and present Neverâ€"Never Land, and engagâ€" ing enough fusion of anachronistic costumes, set pieces and properties dating from antiquity to contemporary times or, in a lot of cases, adapted from the fantastical conceits of many eras. Set designer Jacqueline Underhill, lighting designer Al Anderson, costume designer Andraya Halverson and makeâ€" up supervisor Jeff Dineen all have to be singled out for their high complementaâ€" ry contributions to the director‘s visions. This production is very much a visual experience, downâ€"playing â€" though cerâ€" tainly not downâ€"grading â€" a great deal of the more poetical aspects of Shakeâ€" speare‘s dialogue. Chadwick, who himâ€" self played the dual role of Theâ€" seus/Oberon in a Drama Group producâ€" tion of the play about. six years ago, has cast the current production very well indeed, with a majority of young people infusing it with incredible vitality while a few more experienced players provide a certain amount of professional polish. Both Michael Fletcher and Patricia Koenig handle the dual roles of Theâ€" seus/Oberon and Hippolyta/Titania with effective authority and distinctiveness, masterfully pulling off some fast cosâ€" tume and makeâ€"up changes between the two parts. Siri Barrettâ€"Lennard, Chris Spencer, Bruce Beaton, and Janet Monid, as young lovers who become victims of fairyland magic, are a lively quartet whose physical exuberance make treâ€" mendously amusing scenes which in most previous productions I‘ve seen tend to be rather vapid. Scenes involving the mechanicals â€" a sextet of rustic craftsmen who stage an outrageous ‘"entertainment" for the court of Theseus â€" are always highâ€" lights in productions of A Midsummer Play is delightfully provocative JEREMY HAS THE ABILITY BUT Is NOT APPLYING HIMSELF! I May § !y‘ '.» 4. _ \\Geatffite N St. Jude‘s Q;@ ergam e ? Joy !0‘,‘9@‘ WHY? 419 Phillip St., Waterioo .. . a private school and clinic for the identification, assessment and education of students experiencing learning difficulties."" UW‘s Midsummer Night‘s Dream Night‘s Dream. in this UW show, Chadwick has assembled an absolutely brilliant group of comedy performers, headed up by Les Faichney as Peter Quince the carpenter. The ‘"star‘‘ among the mechanicals, of course, is Bottom, played with great gusto and â€" given the provisions of the role â€"â€" with commendâ€" able subtlety by Jeff Knight. Terry Barna, Gene Dallan, Paul Carpino and Tony Verbruggen all are excellent in supporting turns. The playâ€"withinâ€"aâ€"play segment is hilarious, and both in concept and execution rivals any staging of it I‘ve seen at Stratford. Actually, if there is any serious flaw in this presentation of A Midsummer The fairy kingdom is a strange and sensual world in this production, and its inbabitants both weird and wonderful. As Puck, the chief engineer of fairyland mischie{, Becky Jenkins is stunning both to watch and listen to. presents o 9 A ppsumer Ezhls â€" t’@ .. _ _ Drean *\ by William Shakespeare \ J ‘\::’u.lmdcl:\yadwick The University of Waterioo Drama Department March 15 â€" 19, at the Humanities Theatre, 8:00 p.m. Admission: $5.00 Students/Seniors, $3.00 Tickets: UW Centre for the Arts Box Office, Telephone, 885â€"4280 Night‘s Dream, it is that much of the beauty and subtlety of Shakespeare‘s verbal imagery is sacrificed in favor of visual actions, reactions and environâ€" ment. But the achievement, in fun for the audience, makes that sacrifice forâ€" giveable. The production is being presented nightly, beginning at 8 o‘clock, through Saturday (March 19), with a matinee performance tomorrow (Thursday, March 17) at 2 p.m.