Breakneck Midsummer Night’s Dream

Breakneck? Not so much

I was expecting an over the top, crazy speed, overdramatised version of Middummer. This was not that. This was simply an hour cutting of midsummer. And becuase it did not reach the extreme run through, the choices made by actors came across as just bad acting. Not to mention they went 3-4 over time and due to that I missed my next show. If there are rules put into place they should be followed by all artists.

Full Play in Half Time

Please read the other reviews for this, as they say what needs saying as well or better than I could. Give this a watch!

Expertly done and lots of fun

Doing a 2 hour Shakespearian comedy with six performers in 59 minutes? Here's what you'll need: 1) a smart cutting, 2) skilled performers who can create and switch characters quickly; 3) people whose diction is flawless, so that you can catch as much of the dialogue as possible; 4) since it's a comedy; they'd better have good timing and physical comedic skills. This show has all of these things, and it's a delightful hour in the theatre. My only minor quibble: Mooney has written a clever rhyming prologue that has some laughs in it. I'm not sure it's absolutely necessary, and cutting it might allow perhaps a minute more of MND or a moment to breathe. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this show.

Whimsical and Well...Dreamy

This is (I hate to admit it) my first time seeing any iteration of A Midsummer Night's Dream and I think this may be my new preferred method of consuming Shakespeare. It was very efficient, which seems to be the point, or at least one of the points, and the cast really meant business. I loved how they sort of stashed their costume pieces in the trees. They worked together with the precision of a marching band and while the show itself was fast, I had no trouble at all following the plot, catching the dialogue, and enjoying the ride. Alison Anderson, who played many parts in this, gave me some great advice when consuming a different Shakespeare show which is: to not focus so much on what's being said or how it's being said, but rather to just let the words wash over you and pay attention to the acting and the story more than anything else, which has really increased my enjoyment of the Bard. It's a simple and sparse production, so the acting is what makes this one feel so special. It ran a teeny bit long, but it was the final slot of the night so that was no problem for me - just be careful if you're planning to travel to a remote venue afterward. And it bears repeating since I disclose it in all my reviews, although I've already made it obvious: I have a friend in this cast.

Fun, Silly, and Awesome!

You NEED to see this show!! I really love how well this show flows and how well the cast works together to present the speed version of the best Shakespeare show ever!

Impressively dextrous cast

One of the best Shakespeare adaptations I've seen, definitely checking out the other "Breakneck" productions!

Lovely High Speed Version of Shakespeare

The show flows well and the cast does an excellent job of playing so many different characters. Wonderful version of a great play, and really entertaining to watch!

Hurry up Bard ya only got 58 minutes

This fun show is full of wit, charm and Shakespeare. They hit all the right points to get the story across without the Bard’s repetitive text. So much fun!

This is how to keep Shakespeare alive and well!

This review is from seeing show #2. In one sentence: for this goofy Shakespeare tale, Mooney's aid with a fairly prolific cast enriched the credibility of his name and life's work. In three sentences: from seeing one of Mooney's solo Breakneck shows to witnessing what seemed to be a debut of a cast alongside him, this was an impressive, punchy, fun version of summarizing Midsummer Night's Dream. Though the show's slight overtime was forgivable, one or two scenes felt like they could be cut due to a message/theme already being well-delivered by the featured cast members. However pay most attention to the cast's playfulness and Mooney's own element . . . you leave knowing you've witnessed the gift of classic works being told by a great batch of solid actors.

Tim: The Bard of Breakneck with Ensemble!

Tim Mooney is known as the king of breakneck speed, solo Shakespeare, highly caffeinated. This time we were treated with an ensemble of other performers on Red Bull, taking on many roles with minute costume change of post dressed mainly in black. It was nice to see some familiar faces take the stage with him. I loved Puck. I 'm a sucker for his solo show, but recommend this for anyone wanting to catch of glimpse of Shakespeare as never seen before in either format.

Gleeking Out!

Tim has amazed audiences for years with his one-man shows condensing Shakespearean epics down to the 59:59, so it felt like I was witnessing something truly magical at his ensemble cast of Midsummer Night’s Dream when his repertory company blossomed into a cast of six—all talented actors, including Jeremy Motz of NPC! at the Fringe. Knowing that this cast relied on zoom conferences for rehearsals up until this past week makes the blocking and chemistry in this romp even more impressive. I am so excited to see Tim’s repertory company take this next step. I suspect even bigger things are on the horizon for him, and I’ll be there in the front row when that happens. If you love the Bard, you owe it to yourself to witness this clever and expertly-executed take on one of his best. Congratulations, Mooney and crew!

Readers Digest Meets Shakespeare

A perky, clever reduction of the original work. This six person cast maintained the core but delivered their lines like they drained the expresso machine dry. If you like comedy delivered at an accelerated pace go. PS you gotta love a good Bottom.

Cool elements

This is coming from a perspective of someone with 5+ years of Shakespeare experience, so do not take my word as an "average" audience member. First, I thought the amount of text that the actors had to juggle (as well as how just how many roles they were playing) was seriously impressive. It's difficult to memorize just one role in Shakespeare's canon, much less 2-3. Considering how fast it was advertised, I was expecting more of a Sparknotes/modernized text version, rather than a cut & sped-up version. So off-the bat, I really really appreciated it! Also thought some of the staging was very funny (having Hermia on her knees during the fight scene was great). I also thought the props that were included were really gorgeous - Bottom's donkey head was just awesome. Some things I struggled with were mostly the stakes of the performance & some scene transitions. The Christmas trees were clever, but some of the transitions between scenes were a bit slow (at least the time I saw it). I'd recommend this one if you're trying to get into Shakespeare, or just enjoy it! I did find the play to be understandable, which is probably the most important thing for the audience with classical text.

Abridged Shakespeare with all the good parts

This shortened version of a classic I've watched before at full length and certainly read at least once was simply delightful! It left me and my companion wondering, What did they cut? The story rolls along, the poetry flows, the rough tradesmen's play-within-a-play leaves us laughing, and Puck's magic enchants. Every one of the half dozen actors moves among multiple roles so seamlessly that this itself seems magical, but of course it's a sign of remarkable direction, skillful acting, and thorough preparation.

Fun Show

I saw this show on Friday night and very much enjoyed it, but did have a little trouble keeping track of a few of the players and plot points. Five actors played something like 18 parts (??). I followed enough to enjoy the show and have fun, but would have loved to debrief this show with a friend afterwards, but there was no time. ;-)

best cliff note Shakespeare !

Mooney is a fringe veteran who always puts together entertaining work! I was glad to see this was not a solo show and he used talented local actors to fill out the cast. As always, Mooney was terrific, especially as Bottom. Funny and fast paced!

"Breakneck Will is Another Dream"

Thank goodness for a new annual Tim Mooney production - and in one past Fringe, he did a terrific climate disaster show, which we invited him back to town to perform for a community audience that fall. More recently - both via Zoom and in person, he has brought Breakneck Shakespeare to town, usually with fun audience engagement. (Last year, we had a verse "scavenger hunt".) The MND team, complete with printed shirts beforehand, was a smooth, fun group of skilled performers, something we've been unaccustomed to with Tim's frenetic one-man shows. Props to Tim, himself, as I thought his Bottom, complete with ass's head was a real highlight - maybe because of the terrific voice Tim chose to utilize (and he is a skilled voice man). Cindy Sherdan warmed up the crowd in an engaging manner, played the butt of the show's first joke, then charmed throughout as Puck. After a little difficulty hearing Alison Anderson during the intro, I warmed up to her work throughout, especially in the role of Hermia. Schmoo Cutlip, who I hope we see in the Minnesota Fringe again and again, brought their wide range of performing experiences to totally charm this attendee, whether it was as the icy Hippolyta, the put-upon Helena, or the demeaned Snout. Their facial expressions and posturing made their three roles very unique throughout. Peter Buckholtz, whose Oberon did indeed look an awful lot like Lysander, provided an older hand's experience on stage, and much like Tim, made effective use of different voices (even Flute's) to convey differences in his roles. And J. Merrill Motz, who not only has these lines to do, but also his own Fringe solo show, provided a steadying presence, especially as Peter Quince, but also as he sat on the steps just to my right for his final 5-minute portion. I worried if he was feeling OK at first, before seeing how he had a unique place outside of the three couples (even though there are only 6 total performers!) brought together in the conclusion. After all, he needed to wrap things with Puck. For others who attended - did you memorize your lines of dialogue? I'll admit, I cheated with a study aid. ;-) Looking forward to the next Breakneck, Tim... I hear that Titus Andronicus is a real hoot!