Athens, the not-so-distant future. The climate has changed, and humanity has learned to survive in a harsh world with sparse resources.
In the spirit realm, an enduring rift between the King and Queen of the Fairies has cascaded into the human world, resulting in broken relationships, aggressive takeovers, and desolation. When the humans venture into the forest to forge new paths, all mayhem breaks out, complete with meddling fairies, magical love potions, quarrelling lovers, and a man who can’t figure out why everyone thinks he’s a donkey! Will the fairies and humans be able to untangle themselves and heal their land? Can there be a new beginning?
Theatre major Seth Schouten who stars in the play, describes, "Lovingly created by our fabulous director and a score of brilliant artists, Trinity Western SAMC Theatre’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is an inventive and unique take on Shakespeare’s enduring comedy. This particular production explores the universal and enduring parts of the play while making it a distinctly contemporary work. If you like Shakespeare, theatre, or just want a good laugh, SAMC Theatre’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is for you."
Event details:
March 12-23, 2024 | Tuesdays–Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Saturday Matinees 2 p.m.
Trinity Western University | 22500 University Dr. Langley, BC
- Tuesday, March 12 is Preview – Free concessions at intermission and meet the cast after the show.
- Wednesday, March 13 is Opening Night
Students bid farewell to theatre program with final production
As the TWU Theatre program comes to a close, we end with a joyous celebration of love, magic and dreams.
Graduating student Tahlia Wine plays Hippolyta/Titania and reflects on her time in the theatre program and the show: "I am the last BFA at Trinity. It’s an honour to be able to graduate with my degree this spring and to have participated in the last show here. This department and the experiences I’ve been given have truly changed my life profoundly. I think something that resonates with me about this story is the importance of seeing things for what they really are. In the story, there is a potion that gets cast on the eyes of some of the characters, causing them to see the other characters differently. I think that it is easy for us to get distracted and focused on the wrong things. We don’t always see other people or situations clearly."
Legacy of lives transformed
Seth Schouten, Theatre major and English minor, plays opposite Wine as Theseus/Oberon. "I am met with an overwhelming sense of legacy. A Midsummer Night’s Dream makes for the premature ending of thirty years of theatre storytelling here at TWU. This program has spent the last decades changing and transforming the lives of so many who have come within its vicinity. From my own personal experience, I know that I would not be the person I am today if I had not stepped through SAMC Theatre’s doors. Being a small piece of the cast to say 'goodbye' to such a beautiful, unique program is both a privilege and a great weight. More than anything, I mourn for all the students after me who will never get to know this beautiful place."
Imagining new worlds
Students from programs outside of Theatre are also part of this final production. Mia Hsu, a fourth-year Media + Communication major and Spanish minor, speaks to the design of the production: "I think the most exciting thing about this show is that we are getting to create an entirely new, fantastical world. The set design is beautiful, and the costumes are all very extravagant and unique to each character. There is so much colour and creativity that is working to bring to life a very vibrant story."
Abby ImBeau, third-year English major and Art minor, regrets only having the opportunity to be in this final show: "This has been such a fantastic experience and I am disheartened to know that I will not be able to do it again. I think theatre is a fantastic tool to build community and participate in one of the greatest, oldest traditions of storytelling. As this is the final production of the department, I want to give it my everything to pay tribute to the work, energy, and emotion that has been put into every production that has come before it."
First year interdisciplinary major in Biotechnology and Business Administration student, Tomiwa Kayode-Farombi will play Mustardseed in her first and last production at TWU: "I feel honoured to be part of the final production for the department even though I just got into the school and wish I could participate in more."
The play's director, Associate Professor and Co-Chair of the Theatre Department Kate Muchmore Woo, who has taught at TWU for over 11 years, reflects on bringing this production and the program to a close: "This story, in this conception, is one in which characters’ relationships and their environment are enduring a period of desolation. By the end of the show, however, these things are healing and there is a great celebration. It is a bittersweet way to end our time at TWU."
Cast and Crew of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Directed by Kate Muchmore Woo
Featuring: Jasmin Aidarov, Sarah Bickley, Cath de la Rambelje, Lex Diersch, Ruthanne Downey, Bailey Froese, Esteban Gallo, Leighton Hoffman, Mia Hsu, Abby ImBeau, Tomiwa Kayode-Farombi, Cameron Lebold, Rui Zi Lin, Evie O’Brien, Curtis Maciborski, Aagaaz Sandhu, Seth Schouten, Alex Walker, Marissa Welch, Tahlia Wine, Livia Wolfs
Stage Management: Grace Moore, Katrina Penner
Set Design: Alaia Hamer
Costume Design: Kerri Norris
Lighting Design: Keagan Elrick
Sound Design: Elijah Kroeker
Photo Credit: Jef Gibbons
About TWU's School of the Arts, Media + Culture (SAMC)
Immerse yourself in what you love best, whether it’s visual or performing arts, media, or communication. Grow with others who are just as passionate and exceptional as you. That’s the beauty of learning in community. Learn more at TWU's School of the Arts, Media + Culture.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has campuses in Canada in Langley, Richmond, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca.
Trinity Western University is grateful for our Theatre faculty, students and alumni who are talented, dedicated, and godly individuals who have made positive and lasting contributions to the TWU community and to society at large. Program closures, when necessary, are painful decisions, and we can’t underestimate the toll that such decisions have upon our community. Due to a decade long pattern of insufficient enrolment, limited opportunity for enrolment growth in Theatre, and significant operating expenditures relative to tuition fees, TWU made the difficult decision to close the Theatre programs (and MA TESOL program) over a period of three years, allowing time for current students to graduate well.