A Midsummer Night's Dream
at El Dorado High School

Reviewed on November 5, 2016

Megan Kerrigan
Tesoro High School
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

El Dorado's ‘Midsummer' is an enchanting journey
by Megan Kerrigan, senior, Tesoro High School.
for OC Varsity Arts

A band of colorful fairies flurry through the audience bringing lively energy. A curtain ominously rises, forecasting the bewitching magic that will ensue. El Dorado's ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream' tells the story of mixed up lovers and devious fairies with a Steampunk twist.


Rachel Gray plays the little, fierce Hermia. Gray brings sass to the role as she closes her hands into fists and launches herself at her betrothed, Lysander. She's softened by her passionate gaze as she falls to her knees in defeat. Lysander, played by Kyle Colby, stands proud when he requites his love for Hermia, but melts by opening his mouth and loosening his shoulders when tricked into loving Helena.


Sam Pietenpol, as Helena, gives an energetic performance. Whining, she throws herself onto the floor in a tantrum when she doesn't get her way. She chases after Demetrius until she finally jumps on his back in hopes to win him. Lee Hurst, as Demetrius, contrasts Pietenpol by staying calm and raising an open palm in hopes to bring sense to his lover.


Maria Nies plays the mischievous Puck. Causing all the lovers to fall in love with the wrong people, Nies menacingly crouches and rubs her hands together as she plots her next move. She leaps around the stage in playful delight as her plans run a muck.


An ensemble of Mechanics bring comedy to the show as they reenact Pyramus and Thisbe. Leading them is Bottom, played by Garrett Larson. Larson sings and dances around the stage as he brays like a donkey. When dying in the Mechanic's play, Larson gasps over and over as he comically hasn't truly died yet and continues to stab himself.


Costumes, designed by Rachel Gray and the costume crew, put the Steampunk touch on the show. Colors of rust, beige, black, and maroon paint the characters. Ten gallon hats and huge goggles adorn the men and intricate corsets and long skirts drape on the women. Fairies wear artistic wings and corsets with colors representing which insect they are. The rolling sets, designed by Mckayla McCune and the set designers, include twisting wires, large gears and bolts, and coppery metallic paint.


El Dorado's ‘Midsummer' enchants with new artistic perspective and consistently energetic characters.

Alexander Trevisan
Tesoro High School
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

El Dorado performs a fantastical "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Alexander Trevisan, a senior, Tesoro High School.
for OC Varsity Arts

Fairies rush in, bubbling with energy and skipping with delight, as they transform the stage from a magical Grecian forest into a steampunk extravaganza. Altering the original setting and style, El Dorado quickly brings life to an entirely new twist on Shakespeare's classic, "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Despite the difficult text, Rachel Gray as Hermia speaks her lines with fluid ease. Strong and confident, she struts across stage going after what she wants and attacking the obstacles that emerge. Together, she and Kyle Colby, playing Lysander, come off sweet and lovesick, wooing each other with loving glances and outreached arms. While Gray fights against her father's wishes with raised chest and strong stance, Colby watches in awe with head in hand and smile beaming.

Helena (Sam Pietenpol) skitters around, riddled with anxiety in her endeavors. Flailing in frustration, Pietenpol falls to the ground in a weary tantrum, mourning over her unrequited love. When she jumps onto Demetrius' (Lee Hurst) back and clings for dear life, he coldly shrugs her off and stomps away. However, the tide turns as Helena is suddenly the apple of bewitched eyes. Frustrated at the "mockery," Pietenpol furiously lashes out at her suitors with beating arms and forceful steps.

Garrett Larson is outstanding as the boisterous and wild Bottom. While other actors falter in diction or rush in pace, Bottom precisely pronounces the Shakespearean speech and is clearly understood throughout. As the silly donkey or sorrowful Pyramus, Larson maintains a high energy whether he is going along with the fairies' schemes or stabbing himself excessively in a comically prolonged death scene.

Costumes by Rachel Gray, Camryn Burns, Rhianna McConnell, and Krista Eliot both tie into the steampunk style and match the characters' attributes. Since Helena is depicted as the excessively tall maiden, she is given a simple skirt and tall corset that work with high-heel combat boots to exaggerate her height. Puck (Maria Nies), on the other hand, is dark and grungy. Because of this, she is decked out in tight leather pants and aviator goggles, fitting her shifty and mischievous habits.

With diverse, defined characters and stylistically accurate tech elements, El Dorado's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" reminds us of love's many follies and how honesty can help to avoid them.

Julia Massey
Yorba Linda High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook Page

A Steampunk Dream at El Dorado
by Julia Massey,a freshman at Yorba Linda High School
for OC Cappies Facebook

With a steampunk theme, A Midsummer Night's Dream, performed at El Dorado High, is a Shakespearean play that showcases a night in the forest following three groups. These groups, the Mechanicals, the Lovers, and the Fairies all get thrown into panicked chaos when magical flowers cause them to fall in love with the wrong people, or get turned into an animal.

The excellent, student-done makeup adds an extra layer of mystical flare to the already magical show. From scorpion lips to mini gears glued to the actor's cheeks, this makeup takes the show from amazing to incredible. Along with the makeup, every single costume blends perfectly with steampunk. For example, the actors have layers and layers of vintage clothes on, including corsets. As their journey through the forest continues, they lose an article of clothing to symbolize their slow spiral to insanity. Their costumes also don't fail to contrast the good and bad character's. Oberon's evil fairies are dressed mostly in burgundy and black: whereas Titania's sweet fairies sport bright colors skirts, which clarify the actor's intentions. Not to mention the also student made set, which elucidates the forest and steampunk theme with ease. With these tech talents combined, the show goes on seamlessly, obviously stage managed without a flaw.

A common theme among all of the actors performing in this show is their commitment. Each of them never fail to stay engaged, even when they don't speak. When Bottom, played by Garrett Larson, wakes up from a long sleep on top of the stairs, he takes a giant step, ultimately falling many feet to the floor. This commitment makes his silly actions one hundred times funnier.

Hermia and Helena, the two female lovers, are played by Rachel Gray and Sam Pietenpol, who do a fantastic job showing the contrast between the two of them throughout the show, including when the ‘wrong' man falls in love with them and they blame it on each other. Meanwhile, Kyle Colby and Lee Hurst, who take on the roles of Lysander and Demetrius, fight each other (very comically) for the girls, creating an extra element of humor, softening up the serious moments. Lastly, Snug, portrayed by Julia Chau, performs in the Mechanicals' play as a lion. Her minute choices and humorous additions to the scenes make the play even more enjoyable.

It truly was a dream.