The Northeastern Department of Theatre presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an unforgettable journey to the most fantastical of forests filled with star-crossed lovers, malicious fairies, a hilarious band of amateur actors, and a big donkey bottom. On the eve of a royal wedding, four enchanted tales of midsummer madness are poetically woven together, proving once again what fools these mortals be in William Shakespeare’s dizzying love potion of a comedy.

Directed by guest artist David Demke of Shakespeare & Company, the production runs from March 23 – April 2 in the Studio Theatre. Demke says, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the collective dream of a society at odds with itself; a society struggling to come together rather than rip apart. Old laws and bitter, implacable divisions have, as Titania states, created a ‘progeny of evils’ and thrown the world into discord.”

He continues, “But this is a comedy, and dreams have the power to enlighten and enrich. This dream will take us on a journey of discovery, from which we will awake refreshed and restored, newly committed to love, hope, and compassion.”

In addition to Mr. Demke, the production features three award-winning professional guest designers: Eric Levenson designed the set; Karen Perlow designed the lighting; and composer Dewey Dellay returns after designing last fall’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone. Costumes are by Teaching Professor Frances Nelson McSherry.

Mr. Demke received his BA in Theatre Arts from Minnesota State University, Moorhead, and his MFA in Performance from the University of Maryland, College Park. As an actor he has appeared in productions in New York and regionally, as well as performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in Beijing, China. As a director he has worked extensively in Portland, OR, and at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA. He has been a guest director at Purdue University and Skidmore College. He was the Artistic Director of Stark Raving Theatre in Portland, OR; the Associate Director of Training for Shakespeare & Company; and a principle dancer with the Red River Dance Company in Fargo, ND. As a Designated Linklater Voice teacher, he’s guest taught at various universities, as well as teaching at the Linklater Center in New York, and at the National Theatre of Ghana.

Tickets are available at mytickets.northeastern.edu/online or by calling 617-373-4700.