Shakespeare's most overdone comedy gets a radical new production that explodes Original Practice all-male casting into something messy, sexy, and very gay.
Performed by six dynamic actors, this Midsummer Night's Dream embraces the dark, twisted, and unsettling aspects of Shakespeare's original text, served up in a flamboyant and unexpectedly queer way.
See what chaos ensues when a company of Boy Actors takes over the Cockpit for the performance of their dreams.
Praise for MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
It's definitely the sexiest Shakespeare I've ever seen, and the gayest Shakespeare I've ever seen, in the best possible way. And as a piece of theater, this Midsummer is so modern and forward-thinking. I don't worry about the state of theater as long as there are artists making inventive, outside-the-box, wholly engaging theater in sweaty little loading docks in the North Loop.
The Modern Rep’s Midsummer Night’s Dream is a fresh, high-energy take on Shakespeare that feels lively from the moment you walk in. Overall, it’s a loose, energetic production that prioritizes fun and momentum. It’s not a traditional Midsummer, and that’s exactly the point. An easy recommendation for Pride Month—joyful, unapologetically queer, and full of life from start to finish.
This year’s most exciting Pride event is a Shakespeare production. The Modern Rep’s queer interpretation of Midsummer Night’s Dream has its finger on the pulse, and it’s pressing hard. Director Grant Sorenson has spun the Bard’s most saturated comedy into a complex gay romp with a six-man cast. Leave your Renaissance preconceptions at the door, because the cast will snatch you bald of them regardless. The sexuality of Shakespeare here becomes propulsive, shading each moment with new colors.
I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about this production of Midsummer Night’s Dream! The Modern Rep has served up Shakespeare with a side of absolute heat, delivering an incredibly sexy, unapologetically gay production that is easily the most fun I’ve ever had watching the Bard’s work. It turns out that centuries-old poetry pairs perfectly with modern, chaotic queer energy, and I was utterly obsessed from start to finish.
The Modern Rep Theatre Company’s production of Midsummer Night’s Dream is performed both as it would have been in Shakespeare’s day and unlike anything you would have seen in Shakespeare’s day. If you like your Willy a little on the queer or wild side, I think you’ll have a blast with this production.
We all know A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the magical Shakespeare play. Who knew Shakespeare could be fun and sexy?! This production takes the fun to 125%. The sexiness is off the charts.
This is certainly not the first or last production to gender bend Shakespeare but, unlike most of those reimaginations, Sorenson doesn’t confine the queerness to just the butt of a joke. Instead, we are grounded in the romance & comedy played sincerely. As much as there are silly or raunchy bits, there’s also an earnestness to the performances. The men wearing dresses and corsets come across as genuine, not a punchline.