Compass Shakespeare Ensemble to perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Compass Shakespeare Ensemble will present a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Sunday, February 26th and Monday, February 27th at 8:00pm at the Blackfriars Playhouse, located at 10 South Market Street in Staunton.

All performances are free to the public. A suggested donation of $5 in support of our season’s mission may be offered at the door.

In this delightful comedy by William Shakespeare, four young lovers bent on righting their romantic wrongs find themselves lost in an enchanted forest where satyrs and nymphs abide. Oberon and Titania, the fairy King and Queen, find themselves at odds, and no creature – magic or mortal – is safe from the crossfire. In the midst of this magical mayhem, a group of craftsmen gather together to present a play for the Duke on his wedding night. Meanwhile, the mischievous Puck, servant to Oberon, takes delight in causing chaos and confusion along the way. This exhilarating story of mixups, magic and true love ends with a hilarious play-within-a-play.

Compass Shakespeare Ensemble’s commedia dell’arte inspired production will incorporate a traditional use of masks, stock characters, magic, and improvisation to tell the story of this lighthearted comedy.

Guest director John Bellomo helms this production. A Philadelphia-based director/actor/movement specialist, Bellomo has studied commedia dell’arte at Maestro Antonio Fava’s International School for the Comic Actor and is a founding member and Artistic Director of Ombelico Mask Ensemble. As a Fight Director, he is a six-time Barrymore Award nominee and one time recipient. He has taught stage combat at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, Teatro-in-Polvere in Milan, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, Temple University, and Officina Teatrale in Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy. He received an MFA in Directing from Temple University and a BFA in Acting from the University of the Arts.

His work with Commedia dell’arte has been seen worldwide and Compass Shakespeare Ensemble is thrilled to bring that work to the Blackfriars Stage. Join CSE as they bring to life some of Shakespeare’s most beloved characters like they’ve never been seen before.