Norwin theater group to present 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

William Shakespeare’s 423-year-old comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” will come to life in the Norwin High School Theatre Company’s four performances from Oct. 12 -15 at the Norwin High School auditorium in North Huntingdon.

“We think our students are ready to put forth one of Shakespeare’s finest comedic plays,” said Lauren Scheirer, the theater company’s producer.

Fifty students are involved in the production as cast and crew in the play, which is one of two shows it produces each school year. Assisting in the production is Erin Shrader, the creative and costume director-choreographer, and Todd Leighty, the technical director.

This will be the premiere of this Shakespeare play on the Norwin High School stage, the theater company said. The story is centered around four Athenians who run away to the forest to have Puck, the fairy, make both of the boys fall in love with the same girl. The four run through the forest pursuing each other while Puck helps his master play a trick on the fairy queen. Love in its many forms is the most important theme in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

One of the cast members, senior Luke Klamut, said he is excited to play the role of Lysander because a Shakespeare production always seemed interesting to him.

“The way we are portraying the story also adds such a fun, unexpected element that I am enjoying so much,” said Klamut, student president of the theater company.

Junior Abby Szymanski, who plays Helena, said she believes “it’s really awesome how the (theater) company is branching out to different aspects of plays and Shakespeare has been such a fun challenge.”

Nora Ilnicki, a senior, said she is excited to work alongside the theater company’s talented instructors as a student choreographer.