I was not surprised by the musical and theatrical brilliance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. I was surprised by how deeply I was affected by the drama in Benjamin Britten’s adaptation of the great Shakespearean comedy.

I suspect Midsummer is the Shakespeare play I have seen most often. I always love the play in a worthy staging, but I have become complacent about the dramatic underpinnings. I know everything will turn out well at the end, so I don’t worry about the conflict between the king and queen of the fairies over the changeling boy or the cruel fate Hermia will suffer if she refuses to marry as her father insists.

The difference in the opera is that Britten’s music minutely tracks the story’s emotional demands and evokes a visceral response when words alone may not. The stakes of the drama are high in the opera because of the music.

The music creates a fascinating soundscape in which fairies have a key role. The otherworldly quality of the score is compelling thanks to the St. Louis Symphony under Leonard Slatkin and the OTSL chorus under Andrew Whitfield. Seán Curran works his usual magic with the choreography.

The libretto by Peter Pears and the composer omits Shakespeare’s opening scenes in Athens, so when the opera begins the characters are already in the woods. For the action there, stage director Tim Albery takes the word “Night’s” in the title very seriously. Marcus Doshi’s lighting finds the right balance between representing the night and assuring visibility.

Emma Kingsbury’s scenic design creates attractive locations for scenes in different parts of the woods. Kingsbury’s costumes helpfully distinguish between characters of different classes. Especially noteworthy are the costumes for the fairies who wait on Oberon and Tytania, their king and queen. These servants are dressed in the ornate uniforms of retainers in a court. They have dandelion-like wigs by Krystal Balleza and Will Vicari.

The OTSL production has the uniformly excellent ensemble that is required for a work in which no character is dominant. James Laing’s Oberon, Jana McIntyre’s Tytania, and Matisse Carmack’s Puck have the distinction needed to set them apart from the ordinary world. Their retainers with names are engaging in the portrayals by Emilie Kealani as Cobweb, Veronica Siebert as Mustardseed, Laura Santamaria as Peaseblossom, and Zoe Brooks as Moth.

The misdirected love of the Athenian youths produces spirited hijinks in the performances by Anthony León as Lysander, Jennifer Johnson Cano as Hermia, Theo Hoffman as Demetrius, and Teresa Perrotta as Helena.

Some of the opera’s funniest moments are provided by the well-meaning but inept Athenian artisans who hope to present a play about Pyramus and Thisbe at the celebration after the wedding of Duke Theseus and Hippolyta. The artisans are great fun to watch, and they are given vivid personalities by Robert Mellon as Quince, Dylan Gregg as Snug, Adam Partridge as Starveling, Christian Sanders as Flute, Sam Krausz as Snout, Ben Brady as Bottom.

Brady embraces Bottom’s irrepressible desire to take on any challenge. This quality is of the utmost importance when a spell cast by Oberon makes Tytania falls in love with Bottom after his head has been replaced with a donkey’s. The tenderness with which Brady’s Bottom treats Tytania is a stark contrast to Oberon’s abusiveness.

In Britten as in Shakespeare, the end of the play takes place in Athens. The floor of the forest set is suddenly raised to create a background with a stark new look for the court. Jose Olivares as Duke Theseus and Michelle Mariposa as Hippolyta make their first appearance on the new set. They and the reconciled Athenian youths are the audience for Pyramus and Thisbe play, which gives the opera a hilarious ending.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream continues through June 28 at the Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road. The performances will last approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 25-minute intermission.

—Gerry Kowarsky

Photo © Eric Woolsey
From the left, Laura Santamaria as Peaseblossom, Veronica Siebert as Mustardseed, Jana McIntyre as Tytania, Ben Brady as Bottom, Emilie Kealani as Cobweb, and Zoe Brooks as Moth in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.