Call it a late winter night’s dream. Award-winning actor Ben Evett, who wowed the crowd at the Ames Chapel last year by reprising his role of the Ancient Mariner in Albatross, will be returning there on Saturday, March 9, to perform in one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies: A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Which role will Evett play? All of them — Titania, Puck, Oberon, Lysander.… The one-man, madcap production will see Evett engaging in quick costume changes, voice changes, and all the rest as he is accompanied by live music from Jay Mobley, a composer, music director, and performer who has written music for opera, dance, theater, rock bands, and more. (Mobley himself received a nomination for Best Music Direction for his work on a stage adaptation of Beowulfby The Poets’ Theatre).
The play, weaving together four plots that take place mostly in the forest, is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works the world over, and this version, a 75-minute abridgment of the original, is sure to delight as much as any other.
Evett is no stranger to Shakespeare, having done turns as Shakespearean characters ranging from Hamlet to Caliban. He has also played opposite the likes of theater and film greats Claire Bloom, Sandra Bullock, Tony Shalhoub, Debra Winger, and Ken Howard. And he has won the Elliot Norton Award for best solo performance, having acted everywhere from Off-Broadway to theaters throughout the U.S. and Europe.
To see this solo performance, click on the “Buy Tickets” tab on the hinghamcemetery.org website. Tickets for the event cost $20 and include free wine and beer and light refreshments. Show up at 7 p.m. for a drink (no paper tickets — your name will be checked off at the door), then head to the Ames Chapel’s Great Hall for the play, which starts promptly at 7:30. Afterwards, come back downstairs for another drink and a meet-and-greet with the actor.