“I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was.” The Stanford Shakespeare Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a wondrous dream indeed, but not your typical rendition of this old-time favorite. For starters, it’s set in 1950s Athens, USA. Director Julia Meltzer ‘09 decided to use this classic to mount an exploration of gender roles in our post-war American society, raising questions concerning “sex, love, marriage, power and control.”

The play certainly does raise such questions as the entire plot, which often centers around the delightfully mischievous Puck (played by Zach Chotzen-Freund ‘09), now focuses much more on the women characters in the play: Helena, Hermia and Titiania. The stories of these characters are brought to the attention of the audience. The plight of Helena (Emily Brauer ‘09) is particularly compelling as the audience watches her struggle for love and for self-worth apart from the men who, under the influence of magic, profess their undying affection.

The face-off between Helena and Hermia (Geete Persad ‘10) is an excellent moment in the play — their rapid-fire catfight, set off by the ridiculous display of masculinity by Lysander (Aaron Berg ‘09) and Demetrius (Alex Connolly ‘11), is uproarious and splendid. Each of the four lovers performs their role with articulate humor, especially Connolly whose Demetrius is absolutely hilarious and on-point; each word and movement is perfect. Connolly, whom you might recognize from Rams Head’s Gaieties, brings out a great deal in his fellow ensemble members as the connection between him and Brauer, albeit magically induced, is still quite passionate.

MSND opened Wednesday night to a decent crowd full of supportive and encouraging Stanford students reclining on the grass and consuming fine wine and goodies while enjoying the spectacle that ensued. Old Union Courtyard, host to the event for its entire duration, is a splendid location for this outdoor theatre experience. Coupled with the first warm nights of the year, MSND is the perfect theatrical event to attend this weekend.

But forget about the weather and location — if nothing else, this play is worth viewing for its fantastic ensemble work and perfectly executed individual characterizations. Each player onstage adds to the magic taking place, whether speaking or not. Every single member of the StanShakes ensemble adds to the energy and vibrancy of the piece and when a formerly silent character opens their mouth, if you were skeptical before, all doubt disintegrates as the beautiful verse is splendidly articulated. Specific moments of ensemble brilliance include the face-off between gangs of Oberon and Titania and the Rude Mechanicals production within the production of Pyramus and Thisbe.

The actors execute their roles brilliantly, but the highlight of the evening in many respects is Nisa Ari ‘08 as the fairy-queen, Titania. With her four years of experience with StanShakes, one can expect nothing less. Her portrayal of the empowered women beguiled by Oberon (Michael Hammersley ‘11) is eye-opening and remarkable. The chemistry between the two fairy leaders onstage is also extremely striking and believable. Hammersley (who can also be seen in the upcoming SLE production of Clifford Odet’s “Waiting for Lefty Thursday,” May 29th) has quite the presence on-stage. The audience is compelled to both love and hate him as he exhibits both a detestable scorn for Titania’s affection and, simultaneously, a touching care for the plight of the other lovers in the woods.

The Rude Mechanicals are extraordinary to say the least. Marlene Kennedy ‘11 plays Quince, the director of these players, and each and every line she delivers is comically truthful. Paired with the over-bearing yet somewhat charming Bottom (whom StanShakes veteran Matt Velasco ‘08 represents divinely), she keeps the little ass in check in his moments of scene-stealing glory. Each of the players is unforgettable, among them the oh-so-cute Snug (Sashendra Aponso ‘11) who plays the cowardly lion and the subtly witty Snout (Michael Bateman ‘08) whose character, Wall, is almost too perfect.

Physically, the most noteworthy mechanical has to be Starveling, the tailor, played by Fareez Giga ‘08 whose staunch character stance and determined glare brings humor to scenes that would otherwise be missing that lovely element.

All in all, the production is sure to be an extremely delightful experience for all who attend. The Stanford Shakespeare Company’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” runs through Sunday, May 18th, with runtimes at 8:30 PM every evening with a matinee performance Saturday, May 17th at 2:30 PM. Admission is free.