Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – MIDSUMMER: A BANQUET, a thoughtfully-presented immersive dinner theater production of the Bard’s popular comedy

• By drediman
• August 13, 2019
• No Comments

Charles Osborne and Caroline Amos in Food of Love and Third Rail Projects’ production of “Midsummer: A Banquet” at Café Fae. Photo by Chad Batka.

This past weekend at at Café Fae, I attended Midsummer: A Banquet, Food of Love and Third Rail Projects’ immersive dinner theater staging – yes, there is such a thing! – of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As a longtime fan of Third Rail Projects’ soulful and aesthetically sophisticated approach to immersive theater (their sublime hit Then She Fell continues to thrive in Bushwick), I had high expectations of their co-production with Food of Love (I had missed their previous dinner theater offering, the wittily titled Shake & Bake: Love’s Labour’s Lost) of the Bard’s ever popular comedy. They were largely met, I’m happy to report.

The production has been thoughtfully directed and choreographed by Third Rail Projects’ Zach Morris, whose inventive environmental staging plunges audiences/diners into the the world of Shakespeare’s play. He does an elegant job of navigating his cast around the (sometimes challenging) space – wonderfully taking advantage the space’s gorgeous pre-existing Art Nouveau features – as well as deliciously guiding them through the play’s escalating mayhem and mirth. Design-wise, Midsummer: A Banquet is smartly appointed, featuring simple yet visually alluring transitions between Athens and the enchanted forest just beyond the city’s gates. As for the food, the light, largely vegan fare was tasty, beautifully curated to the play, and seamlessly weaved into the staging (the show also comes with a complimentary glass of wine).

The hardworking cast of just ten do a fabulous job of handling Mr. Morris’s physically demanding staging while doubling up to cover a multitude of roles (e.g., the young Athenian lovers, the mechanicals, forest fairies), all while handily serving a five course meal throughout the evening. Although the acting is uneven in places – for example, they do a great, hilarious job as the mechanicals, while not quite hitting the mark as the Athenians – and some of the actors just a too tad wet behind the ears for certain roles, I admire their collective youthful zeal and commitment to the production.

RECOMMENDED

MIDSUMMER: A BANQUET
Off-Broadway, Play
Food of Love & Third Rial Projects / Café Fae
2 hours, 20 minutes (with one intermission)
Through September 7