• Article Photo. Puck (Aspen Auld) and First Fairy (Katie Hancock) meet in the opening scene.
    Puck (Aspen Auld) and First Fairy (Katie Hancock) meet in the opening scene.
  • Article Photo. Mikala Niemeier and Austin Lauterwasser rehearse for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'
    Mikala Niemeier and Austin Lauterwasser rehearse for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'
  • Article Photo. Joey Anderson as Cobweb
    Joey Anderson as Cobweb
  • Article Photo. A 'Midsummer' dance: Sophia Vasquez and Katherine Seitz as Shades, dancing in the forest.
    A 'Midsummer' dance: Sophia Vasquez and Katherine Seitz as Shades, dancing in the forest.
  • Article Photo. A scene in the woods..
    A scene in the woods..
  • Article Photo. The Nobles: Mikala Niemeier, Willow Huber, Austin Lauterwasser and Jackson Green.
    The Nobles: Mikala Niemeier, Willow Huber, Austin Lauterwasser and Jackson Green.
  • Article Photo.
  • Article Photo. Oberon (Nich Radcliffe) gives instructions to Puck (Aspen Auld).
    Oberon (Nich Radcliffe) gives instructions to Puck (Aspen Auld).
  • Article Photo. Rachel Bonar and Nch Radcliffe rehearse for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'
    Rachel Bonar and Nch Radcliffe rehearse for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'
  • Article Photo. Steve Auld and Ian Stuelke as Pyramus and Thisbe in the play within a play in the final scene.
    Steve Auld and Ian Stuelke as Pyramus and Thisbe in the play within a play in the final scene.
  • Article Photo. The Lion (Rich Hainstock) startles the audience during the play at the wedding.
    The Lion (Rich Hainstock) startles the audience during the play at the wedding.
  • Article Photo. The Mechanicals discuss their upcoming performance.
    The Mechanicals discuss their upcoming performance.
  • Article Photo. The mechanicals rehearse their play in the woods. (Steve Auld, Jon Stuelke, Alan Nebola)
    The mechanicals rehearse their play in the woods. (Steve Auld, Jon Stuelke, Alan Nebola)
  • Article Photo. Jeff Sietz plays the actor who plays the wall.
    Jeff Sietz plays the actor who plays the wall.
  • Article Photo. The mechanicals introduce their play to the wedding guests
    The mechanicals introduce their play to the wedding guests
  • Article Photo. The Shades dance in the woods.
    The Shades dance in the woods.
  • Article Photo. Opening dance: Puck (Aspen Auld) moves through the forest.
    Opening dance: Puck (Aspen Auld) moves through the forest.
  • Article Photo. During a long night deep in the woods, Lysander and Demetrius both profess their love for Helena
    During a long night deep in the woods, Lysander and Demetrius both profess their love for Helena
  • Article Photo. Rachel Bonar and Eli Powers rehearse.
    Rachel Bonar and Eli Powers rehearse.
  • Article Photo. Lysander (Jack Green) and Hermia (Willow Huber) escape into the woods on Midsummer's Night
    Lysander (Jack Green) and Hermia (Willow Huber) escape into the woods on Midsummer's Night
  • Article Photo. Titania (Rachel Bonar) quarrels with Oberon (Nich Radcliffe)
    Titania (Rachel Bonar) quarrels with Oberon (Nich Radcliffe)
  • Article Photo. Bottom (Steve Auld) wants to play all the parts
    Bottom (Steve Auld) wants to play all the parts

If you like Shakespeare, you have to go see the ACT 1 production of "A MidSummer Night's Dream."

If you don't love Shakespeare, you still ought to go. 

I went, on Tuesday, during one of the week's first dress rehearsals for the show that opens tonight (Friday, Aug. 3).

It's impressive: The costumes. The actors. The dancing fairies. 

But first, about the play:

Shakespeare wrote it about 420 years ago, during the Athenian age. The young nobles (played by Jackson Green, Willow Huber, Mikayla Niemeier and Austin Lauterwasser) are Athenian, which meant much more to Shakespeare's audience than modern Americans. 

The four go to the woods as they pursue their romance, but the fairies there place spells on them, which affect their feelings of love. Along with the four nobles, a group of working class (called mechanicals) men who are working on a play to perform for the wedding of the nobles wind up in the woods, where one of them dreams he has turned into an ass. Titiana, the Queen of the fairies, dreams she was in love with an ass. 

Was it reality? Or a dream? Shakespeare -- and the ACT 1 actors and actresses -- explore these questions through the play.  

Nicholas Radcliffe, a Vinton native who has performed Shakespeare in large venues, plays Oberon, King of the Fairies. Rachel K. Bonar plays Titiana, Queen of the Fairies. And Benton Community High School student Aspen Auld, plays the part of Puck. This reverses a Shakespeare tradition of having men play the roles of females, as Aspen tucks her blond hair into a curly black wig to play the part of a boy. 

These three lead actors are incredible, as are the others who have worked all summer to learn the rhythm and rhyme that is Shakespeare. There are places where one actor begins a line, and another ends it with a rhyme. 

Yes, it's Shakespeare. Yes, the language is old. Yes, you will have to pay attention.

But it's worth it.

Click HERE for the ACT 1 site and ticket information.

Click HERE to see the production program.