A Midsummer Night's Dream

Time and again, Mott's arrogance crushes the play.

This "Midsummer" is a chore.

Whether you are amused or bemused, it's unlikely that you'll feel much of anything; this is comedy at its frothiest and foamiest.

If you're hoping to see a production just like the one that would have been done in 1596, this ain't it. But Mott's version is a hell of a good time in its own right.

Mott's "Midsummer Night's Dream" may not have a high bar to reach to be better than average as filmed Shakespearean comedies go. But by any standard, it's a modest, resourceful and unexpected delight.

Darned if Casey Wilder Mott's feature directorial debut doesn't prove to be a disarmingly effective, visually vibrant frolic.

ultimately can't reconcile the distracting awkwardness that comes with placing these characters and dialogue into this setting. The result feels lost in translation.

So quick bright things come to confusion.

Though no one stands out in the ensemble, everyone does a fantastic job of wrapping their mouths around Shakespeare's dialogue and giving it a present-day spin.

They break some cardinal rules here, all in service of the show. It is the sort of creative latitude Shakespeare would admire.

Even if you never read a word of Shakespeare, this fresh update lets the ornate language flow around you so you can just sit back and enjoy the show.

Casey Wilder Mott's delightful modern day version of Shakespeare's work is perhaps the punniest, most meta adaptation of the bard's output to date.