Feature: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM To Be Presented Live At Pinot's Palette

Live theater is being offered in the Las Vegas Valley over the 4th of July weekend. Hosted by Bard at the Bar, one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream, will be presented at Pinot's Palette (The District) with two performances on July 5.

All guests will be required to wear a mask for this event following the Nevada State COVID-19 mandate. The actors will be performing in masks, but able to pull them down when they speak. A limited amount of masks will be available at the event for guests who do not provide their own. All seating is socially distanced based on state parameters.

The story takes place in Athens, where a headstrong young woman (Hermia) refuses to wed a nobleman (Demetrius). Instead, she plans to flee to the forest with her real love (Lysander) to escape her destiny of living in an unhappy marriage or being put to death. Meanwhile, another young woman (Helena), scorned by the fickle Demetrius, is determined to win his affections back by any means necessary. She agrees to help him chase down Hermia and Lysander while actually chasing Demetrius to win his love.

Meanwhile, a group of rude mechanicals (think frat boys) are rehearsing a dramatic play in the forest with hopes of performing it at court (think AGT). Of course, nothing goes according to plan. Add the fairy king (Oberon) and fairy queen (Titania), at war with each other. The good news is that their quarrel results in the spreading magic among the humans by Puck, who might or might not be interfering with everyone's lives.

"Everything is set up for A Midsummer Night's Dream, and this show will work with masks," explains Greg Korin, Managing Director at Bard at the Bar.

The masks used by the performers are from a dental office (Level 3), and each actor will use a sharpie to decorate the mask to match the character.

"We rehearsed with the masks on, and they did not present any problems," he says. "The show is zany enough that we can get away with using masks."

The company was planning on offering live performances with a full schedule, including Hamlet in August, and Much Ado About Nothing in September. However, with the Nevada State COVID-19 mandate and the logistics of masks, the company made the tough decision to postpone live shows after the two performances on July 5. The theater will not be stopped, so Bard at the Bar plans to record the shows as movies for streaming online.

The company was started in 2018 by several board members of the Shakespeare Institute of Nevada. While the first year was bumpy, the one area they excelled in was presenting 20-minute vignettes and Q&A for students in the school district about Shakespeare. Korin mashed up three love scenes from Shakespeare-Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado About Nothing-with each scene ending with a kiss.

It was suggested that the mashup be presented in a restaurant that had hosted previous performances. The new management rudely turned them down when approached, so Korin reached out to The Velveteen Rabbit to offer an interactive experience for their guests. Actors would sit among the guests and, at the appointed time, would start the show. The character of Juliet, seated at the bar with an umbrella drink and Romeo's Facebook page on her phone, would call out, "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" The character of Romeo would stand up in the back of the bar, and they would perform the balcony scene, kiss, and run out of the back door. Petruchio and Katherina, Taming of the Screw, would walk in arguing and eventually be "married' by an Elvis impersonator. As they walk out of the back door, Beatrice and Benedict of Much Ado About Nothing would perform the ballroom scene. Unfortunately, The Velveteen Rabbit will not offer any live entertainment in the foreseeable future. However, Pinot's Palette stepped up and offered their venue.

The stage has been set for romance, madness, magic, and laughter. Get Pucked Up for A Midsummer Night's Dream to be performed at Pinot's Palette (The District), 2260 Village Walk Drive, Henderson, with two performances on July 5. Click here for tickets for the 4 p.m. or the 7:30 p.m. performance. For more info, visit thebard-at-thebar.com.

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