August 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24 - 2:00 pm

For the second Summer Show, Arne's Zaslove's 1950's Rock & Roll Midsummer Night's Dream was chosen. Set in the Athens High School gymnasium on prom night, 1957, the words were Shakespeare’s but the characters, wearing poodle skirts and leather jackets, sang and danced the night away!

Setting 1950's Rock and Roll to Shakespeare was an interesting proposition to the actors. During an early music rehearsal, music director Bryan Manzo was asked about parts. His response was listen to the oldies and then make it up. Improving music was a new thing to many of the young actors who had been trained in choral music.

Under Ellen Grahams' direction, the melding of a 1950's high school onto Shakespeare was virtually seamless (and a lot of fun). Guy Caridi got a chance to train his young dancers in the dances of the decade when many of their grandparents were growing up. Olivia Hickerson got to put her 50's rock band together with the help of two of the actors (Titania/Amy Beth Lindvall on sax and Mick Etchoe/Snug the Joiner on accordion).

Many of the young actors were college students coming back to where they had been 'raised' in the theater. Oberon (Daniel Stoltenberg) had been Rolf in Sound of Music. Puck (Jenny Estill) had many roles at the theater under her belt (Anne in Anne of Green Gables, Wendy in Peter Pan, as well as many others). Titania (Amy Beth Lindvall) had been Lucy in Narnia, Tiger Lily in Peter Pan, and a half dozen other shows). Demetrius (Evan Randall) was Colin in Secret Garden. Hermia (Ashleigh Emmons) was Tinker Bell in Peter Pan and Robin Hood's daughter in Robin Hood: the Legend Continues.