Young Novato Actress Tackles 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' for Third Time

Novato’s Lara Garay, who attends of the in Novato, says it’s pretty much a dream to perform in A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the third time in her budding career.

 “It’s probably my favorite Shakespeare play,” said Garay, who plays Titania and Hippolyta in the production by Stage Academy Marin’s teen summer program.  “I love the whole dynamic of having four different dimensions and worlds where the stories intertwine. It’s very fun.”

Garay has studied under the direction of instructor Rodney Franz at Marin School of the Arts, part of Novato High School.

Stage Academy Marin brings together talented high school actors from all ends of Marin County for the Shakespeare favorite, which opens Thursday at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. The program has one production per summer season and has rotated sites around Marin County.

The troupe’s version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is set in the 1930s at the height of Hollywood glamour, when studio executives ruled and actors dreamed of making it big. Director Julianna Rees’ vision recasts the Athenian aristocracy as studio execs and pits them against stagehands, the working class mechanicals in the original work.

In the show, the fairies work their magic at the foot of the legendary sign in the Hollywood hills. Rees said the iconic location epitomizes the edgy, enchanting element that characterized 1930s Hollywood. It represents both a place of beautiful promise as well as one that contains a dark underbelly that threatens to destroy. This creates the perfect backdrop for the Bard’s classic romance, a play that revolves around the blurring of fantasy and reality.

Set designer Emily Greene created an elegant set that is not only visually interesting but also plays an integral part in the show. It is engineered so actors can climb on and jump from its elements, making the many physically demanding scenes in this play come alive.

The shows will be July 21-24 at Tam High’s Caldwell Theater, 700 Miller Ave, Mill Valley. Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday show is at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12. Additional information is available at www.StageAcademyMarin.com.