A Midsummer Night

For its 25th anniversary of outdoor Shakespeare in High Park, CanStage brings back this most accessible of the Bard’s work, with a production that is gloriously colourful, physical, and ribald. As the sun sets and the stars come out over the stage in the woods, a cast of acrobatic actors twirl and leap about the stage. The central story is a simple one of forbidden young lovers who flee into the forest to elope. But the laugh-out-loud moments – and there are plenty – come courtesy of a band of local actors who head into the same forest to rehearse their masterpiece. Thanks to some magic enacted by the forest’s fairies, we see the moronic diva Bottom transformed into an ass and then become the object of the affections of the fairy queen Titania. The whole show is so very Toronto with its multi-racial cast, costumes that could pass for Queen West hipster, and the magic of a summer tradition that has survived a quarter-century. This year, CanStage has gone an extra mile to make the show family-friendly with pre-show family activities on Sundays from 5-6:30 p.m., and a Community Parade Day on Aug.12 from 3-6:30 p.m. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is performed Tuesday-Sunday at 8 p.m. (gate opens at 6 p.m. – bring a picnic dinner!) until Sept.2 PWYC; children 14 and under are free.