A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM to Open This March at Arden Theatre Company

Arden Theatre Company continues its 29th season with William Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM from March 2 through April 9, 2017 on the Arden's F. Otto Haas Stage at 40 N. 2nd Street in Philadelphia.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is Shakespeare's most beloved comedy. In it, an enchanted forest becomes the perfect setting for the follies and foibles of fairies, humans and amateur actors putting on a play. The Arden is known for accessible Shakespeare, and this new and vibrant interpretation, stacked with Philadelphia's brightest young talent, promises to engage and delight all ages.

Arden Producing Artistic Director Terrence J. Nolen say, "This show holds a special place in our hearts. We opened the F. Otto Haas Stage in 1998 with A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and this is the first time we will be producing a Shakespeare play for the second time. It is a play so full of youthful exuberance, as was our production, the cast and the Arden itself at that time. Now, as we approach our 30th Anniversary, we turn it over to Barrymore Award-winning director Matt Pfeiffer, who will be creating his own vibrant and fresh production featuring some of Philadelphia's most exciting up and coming actors and designers."

Director Matt Pfeiffer has directed throughout Philadelphia, at Orlando Shakespeare Theatre and for the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival for 17 seasons. Pfeiffer directed the Arden's production of Romeo and Juliet in 2010. He is a 12 time Barrymore Award nominee and has won awards for Theatre Exile's The Whale and The Invisible Hand. He is the recipient of the 2007 F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist.

Pfeiffer says, "So many of our great stories trace back to the themes, ideas and characters found in Shakespeare's plays. There were ways of thinking about the world 450 years ago that we still connect to. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM celebrates the silliness of love and does it in a way that is funny and human. We can all relate to that."

"My approach to Shakespeare is to put the power of this play into the hands of the best creative talent in our theatre community. This is a story of first loves. Shakespeare's language and humor are found in a story that we can all recognize. The characters find common ground through love and magic. In a time of great divisiveness, I think it's a kind of magic and celebration we need."

"I do believe," he adds, "That as technology advances, audiences have a yearning for something more stripped down and simple. For coming together in a room full of people and hearing a good story. It's essential that we, as theatre artists, make a live experience that doesn't try to compete with a movie, but engages an audience's imagination and intellect."

Cast members include Rachel Camp (Helena/Snout), Taysha Canales (Hermia/Snug), Sean Close (Lysander/Flute), Eliana Fabiyi (Musician/Fairies), Doug Hara (Egeus/Quince), Dan Hodge (Bottom), Brandon Pierce (Demetrius/Starvling), Katharine Powell (Titania/Hippolyta), Lindsay Smiling (Oberon/Theseus) and Mary Tuomanen (Puck/Philostrate).

Single ticket prices are $36-$52, with discounts available for groups of 15 or more, seniors, students, military, and educators. $15 to 10am student performances are also available. Call the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122, visit www.ardentheatre.org or visit the box office at 40 N. 2nd Street in Old City, Philadelphia.

SPECIAL EVENTS and PERFORMANCES:

Opening Night is Wednesday, March 8 at 7pm. The Opening Night sponsor is Harmelin Media; reception sponsors include Lagunitas Brewing Company and Wines 'Til Sold Out. Special thanks to JPM Catering.

Post-show discussions will be held following performances on Thursday, March 16 at 8pm, Sunday, March 19 at 2pm, Wednesday, March 22 at 6:30pm, Sunday, March 26 at 2pm and Wednesday, March 29 at 6:30pm.

The Arden is wheelchair accessible and provides assisted listening devices and large-print programs at every performance. Open Captioned and Audio Described performances will take place on Friday, March 24 at 8pm and Saturday, March 25 at 2pm. Reservations are required for accessible seating and may be made by calling the Arden's Box Office at 215.922.1122.

Founded in 1988, Arden Theatre Company is dedicated to bringing to life great stories by great storytellers-on the stage, in the classroom, and in the community. Five productions are staged each season as part of the Mainstage series and two productions through Arden Children's Theatre, the city's first resident professional children's theatre program. New work is produced through the Independence Foundation New Play Showcase. The Arden's Education Department includes: Arden for All (AFA), a theatre access and education program for underserved young people; Arden Drama School, the after-school, Saturday, and summer camp classes for students in grades pre-K-12; Teen Arden, an immersive after-school access program for Philadelphia-area based teenagers; and the Arden Professional Apprentice Program, a nationally renowned comprehensive theatre management training program. The Hamilton Family Arts Center is the new facility dedicated to education programs and new play development.

The Arden has received numerous honors including 65 awards and 334 nominations from the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre. The Arden is a winner of four "Theatre Company of the Year" designations (Philadelphia Inquirer), six Philadelphia Magazine "Best of Philly" awards and three "Best of Philly Kids" awards, the City Paper's Reader's Choice Award and the prestigious "Great Friend to Kids Award" from the Please Touch Museum for Arden Children's Theatre work. For accessibility efforts, the Arden was named a "Keystone of Accessibility" by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Arden Theatre Company is a professional, nonprofit 501(c)(3) theatre company and a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the League of Resident Theatres, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Old City Arts Association. The Arden also participates in The Barrymore Awards, a program of Theatre Philadelphia.

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