Appalachian Shakespeare Project to debut ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

PRESS RELEASE

ATHENS, WV — The Appalachian Shakespeare Project will celebrate its 17th season this summer with a new production of one of The Bard’s most revered comedies.

The community theatre company will perform “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Pipestem Resort State Park amphitheater July 17-18 at 6 p.m. and July 19 at 2 p.m. The show will also play on the campus of Concord University in front of the Alexander Fine Arts Building at July 24-25 at 6 p.m. and July 26 at 2 p.m.

This year’s production allows the company to perform one of Shakespeare’s most famous and beloved comedies. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is both a love story and an exciting adventure, tracing the tale of two pairs of lovers who flee to the woods to escape the parents trying to prevent their marriages. In the forest, they cross paths with a married couple of magical fairies facing conflict of their own, and comic chaos ensues.

“‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is one of Shakespeare’s most charming romantic comedies, and we’re going to do our best to bring those charms to life for our audience,” said Executive Director and Concord University’s Dr. Gabriel Rieger. “Our production features a young cast and plenty of slapstick comedy, as well as the kind of delightful wordplay we always love in Shakespeare.”

This summer’s production is unique in that it features the casting of Jade Cox as Demetria (traditionally Demetrius), which means that one of the pairs of lovers is a same-sex couple.

“‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ allows us to explore a world where magic and ordinary people collide,” said Concord University Theater alum and this summer’s production director Lexi Hall. “Getting to combine Shakespeare with a new sapphic dynamic is a form of resistance to this ever-changing scary world filled with censorship and hate. What’s more magical than love?”

This year’s production will be a bittersweet occasion for The Appalachian Shakespeare Project, since it is dedicated to the memory of longtime cast member William Thomas (Tom) Bone III, who passed away in October 2025.

“Tom was one of the backbones of The Appalachian Shakespeare Project from the very beginning, and he elevated every production in which he participated. We were heartbroken at the loss of him, but we are honored to dedicate this summer’s production to his memory,” Rieger said.

The Appalachian Shakespeare Project is a community theatre organization founded in the summer of 2010 to present actor- and audience-focused outdoor performances of Shakespeare’s plays in order to provide the community with an enjoyable and educational theatre experience.

For more information on the Appalachian Shakespeare Project, contact Rieger via email, at grieger@concord.edu, or by phone at (304) 384-5251.