Performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream was never going to be an easy task, as it easily has one of William Shakespeare’s most chaotic scripts.

Involving an enormous cast and a complex plot, the play is an anomaly in the world of comedy. But this year’s adaptation of Dream managed to spin the story in a way that appealed to audience members of all ages.

Set in Athens, Tex., the school’s adaptation of Dream followed the story of four lovers, a senator trying to get re-elected, and the mechanicals, a bumbling yet loveable crew of actors trying to put on a show. Throw in border patrol officers, creepy vampires and fantastic costumes, and what resulted was a vibrant, pulsating show infused with comedy.

The process leading up to the show was difficult, as the two-month rehearsal schedule coincided with the beginning of school, always a busy time for students.

“All the challenges we encountered were expected, because we knew what we were getting into,” said junior David Ganjei, who played Mustardseed. “I had to start my homework at 9 p.m., especially during tech week. There were so many ways to get around these problems, like talking to your teachers.”

According to junior Sofia Cabanas, who played Hippolyta, a collective desire for a good show drove the cast to go the extra mile.

“We stayed positive,” said Cabanas. “People have worked their hardest. We had Saturday rehearsals for three weeks and everyone stayed late.”

Senior David Friedman as Oberon, senior Laura Jacobs as Titania and junior Lily Waldron as Puck formed a ferocious trio as the vampires who inhabited the abandoned amusement park, where the majority of the play took place.

They managed to mix sinister body movements with lighter punchlines to form exciting characters, ones whom the audience craved to see more of.

During the intermission, audience members lavished praise on the show.

“I love it so far,” said Jacob Sanston. “It’s very funny. All the actors, you can tell, really worked hard, and you can tell where they added stuff to make it more funny.”

“I think it’s interesting; they’ve done a good job with the plot,” said junior Vikram Mahadevan, a self-proclaimed fan of junior Noah Krawitz, who played a football player. “You need a bit of background knowledge first, but once you have that, it’s really interesting.”

The show was enjoyable to audience members other than students.

“I think it’s the best play I’ve seen in years,” said Pam Duncan, a friend of a parent who came to see the show. “The casting was very good because people know what they’ve doing and they’re very professional. They look like they’re having so much fun.”

One of the highlights of the night came near the end of the play, when the mechanicals finally manage to get their acts together and put on a hilariously terrible rendition of the play Pyramus and Thisbe.

Sophomore Gabriel Hodgkin shined in his role as Snug the joiner, a frail old man in a cute lion suit.

“He really stole the show,” said senior Julian Hermano, who played Peter Quince, leader of the mechanicals. “So many of these ideas were his own; he didn’t really need direction. I thought it was great that he was able to command the attention of the audience without really saying anything, just through his body movements.”

The curtain call, which was triggered by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” gave the cast a chance to bow out on a high note, concluding a performance which managed to deliver what it promised.

Ayush Kumar and Julianna Goldring can be contacted at [email protected]