Arts After Hours will present “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in Lynn Woods, starting Friday.
LYNN — Magic and mirth will fill Lynn Woods in Arts After Hours’ free production of Shakespeare’s fantastical play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” starting on Friday at 7 p.m. Performances are also scheduled for Saturday and Aug. 6, 7, 13 and 14 at 4 p.m.
Admission is free, but reservations are encouraged since a maximum of 50 people can be accommodated for each performance.
One of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, ”A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is about four love-struck youths who must find their way through the forest and to each other, while overcoming fairies’ love potions and tricks and the will of the Duke.
Lynn Woods’ beauty will be on display as the audience follow actors through a small area of the forest, accessible through the Woods’ Pennybrook Road entrance. Comfortable shoes are recommended, as light walking on uneven ground will occur during the show. Attendees are encouraged to come early and enjoy the woods. There are many areas suitable for a stroll, hike or picnic.
“The fanciful, fairy-tale elements of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ embrace the magic qualities of summer and the forest,” said Thomas Martin, who directs the play and serves as Arts After Hours’ artistic director, in a statement. “We are delighted to bring Shakespeare’s spirited Athenian forest adventure to Lynn.”
The cast includes Rory Boyd, Cassie Foote, Cassandra Meyer, Lisa Burdick, Sarah Mass, Tim Strauhal, Laura Baronet, Nicolas Chuba, Michael Barry, Siobahn Carroll and Sarah Milnamow.
“Please join us in this gem of the North Shore we call the Lynn Woods, as we go on a delightful romp through summer love and magic,” said Corey Jackson, managing director of Arts After Hours, in a statement.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” marks Arts After Hours’ fifth annual Summer Shakespeare production, preceded by “Henry V,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” Romeo and Juliet” and Twelfth Night.”
To reserve complimentary tickets or learn more about the production, please go to artsafterhours.com, call 781-205-4010, or visit Arts After Hours’ Facebook page. The mission of Arts After Hours is to engage and transform downtown Lynn through the experience of live theater.
This production is supported, in part, by a grant from the Lynn Cultural Council, a local agency of the Massachusetts Cultural Council.