The University of Texas

Department of Theatre and Dance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 3, 2008

MEDIA CONTACT: Gene Bartholomew; 512.471.0632; gbartholomew@mail.utexas.edu

Amanda Flores; 512.232.5337; amflores@austin.utexas.edu

The University of Texas Department of Theatre & Dance welcomes Paul Mullins for a timeless take on William Shakespeare's classic magical tale, A Midsummer Night's Dream, starring the UT MFA Acting class of 2010, November 14 – 23, 2008 at the intimate Oscar G. Brockett Theatre.

Occasionally referred to as Shakespeare's perfect play, A Midsummer Night's Dream delights audiences with some of The Bard's most memorable and engaging characters–Puck and Bottom–as well as royal fairies, desperate young lovers, “rude mechanicals” and attending fairies with quaint names of Mustardseed, Peaseblossom, Cobweb and Moth.

At the outset of the play, quarrels among the mortals in Athens' court and between the forest's Fairy King Oberon and his Queen Titania are causing havoc. Young lovers flee the Court in order to seek happiness together, and find their love strangely twisted by Puck's fairy madness.

“A Midsummer Night's Dream is unique in that it explores so many facets of love,” comments Director Paul Mullins. He elaborates, “Shakespeare allows his characters and his audience to know and explore love in all its changing faces: romantic love, passionate love, sexual love, young love, mature love, parental love, love between friends, unrequited love and too requited love.”

Director Paul Mullins is a company member of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey where he has directed Private Lives, The Time of Your Life, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Richard II, King John, The Illusion, Tartuffe, Rhinoceros, Measure for Measure, All's Well That Ends Well and The Threepenny Opera. Productions under his direction have been hailed as first–rate, enlivening and immensely creative.

Join us on November 14 for an Opening Night Reception immediately following the performance.

For more information on A Midsummer Night's Dream, please visit http://www.finearts.utexas.edu/tad/productions/production_season/2008-2009/midsummer_night/index.cfm.

The Oscar G. Brockett Theatre (300 E. 23rd St.) is located in the F. Loren Winship Drama Building on the University of Texas campus. For a map of the campus, please visit http://www.utexas.edu/maps/main/buildings/win.html.