Earlier this afternoon I chose to attend Baruch’s Performing Art Center’s presentation of Shakespear’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Just getting the tickets was an adventure and a half. Not that it was at all a complicated process, but everything is harder when you lose your wallet for an hour. Thank God I found it just in time to slide into one of the last available seats just before the play began. I was honestly surprised by the turnout. The “theatre” in the 17 Lex building is not at all what you would call large but it was jam-packed. In any case, I took my seat and the production began. The set and costume design were modern, which made the play all the more interesting. I had read  A Midsummer Night’s Dream in high school, and it was one of my favorite plays, probably due to the fact that everyone doesn’t end up dead at the end of it. But hearing Shakespearian language being so eloquently delivered from a dude in a tennis outfit with a New York accent is slightly jarring and most definitely changes your perspective of the piece. Especially when the said actor later appears dressed up like a Prince impersonator, and finally like the Godfather. Throughout the play, I was quite impressed by the actors’ enthusiastic delivery of lines that had seemed so dull on paper. The musical choices, including “I’m the Dude”  were amusing. My favorite character was Helena, played by Elizabeth Elkind. Her lines were made all the more hilarious by her facial expressions and movements. Of all the cast her character was, in my opinion, the most relatable. Overall I enjoyed the play. It greatly exceeded my original low expectations and I know now that I should not underestimate the Performing Arts Center’s capabilities. After the show, I was able to meet Leslie Ivery, depicted above. She played the part of both Hippolyta and Titania and executed both roles beautifully.