A Midsummer's Night Dream

By William Shakespeare

Directors: Christina Keefe and Kyle Clark
Scenic: Mark Krouskop
Lighting: Jules Houston
Costumes: Amber Stepanik
Photos: Pin Lim

OCTOBER 3-5, 2025 | HAMMAN HALL

“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” So says Puck, the mischievous fairy, in this most popular of Shakespeare’s comedies. When the feuding king and queen of the fairies interfere in the couplings of mortals, the result is bedlam. A tale of lovers, heroes, fairies, and rustic would-be actors is Shakespeare’s tribute to the power of imagination and love in all its guises.

The production will be directed by Christina Keefe and Kyle Clark. Keefe is the director of the Rice Theatre Program and last directed Rice Theatre’s production of “Comedy of Errors.” Most recently, she was the voice and text coach for the Houston Shakespeare Festival’s productions of “As You Like It.” Clark is a Lecturer for the Theatre Program at Rice. Most recently, he performed as Silvius and Pistol for the Houston Shakespeare Festival and was Fight Director for the Houston Broadway Theatre's production of “American Psycho.”

This production also features the work of numerous Rice alumni. Music compositions by Nigel Deane (Rice 2016, B.Mus. in Composition) will be a highlight. Since graduating Rice, Deane has earned an MFA as a Performer-Composer from CalArts, and has been an active musician/artist and teacher in Los Angeles; they have formed and played with bands and ensembles, played their music along the west coast, Alaska, and Canada, and did a Los Angeles tour of their experimental religious ceremony “MASS.” On the stage, alumni Kelley Briggs (Rice 2024, Business and Political Science; Rice 2025, MA in Accounting), Abby Grayson (Rice 2020, Visual and Dramatic Arts, Concentration in Theatre), and Carter Spires (Rice 2013, Physics and Mathematics) take on the roles of Theseus, Egeus, and Nick Bottom respectively.

Performances are for one weekend only: October 3rd and 4th at 8pm, and October 5th at 2pm. The beginning of the show will take place outdoors before moving inside; audience members are encouraged to bring blankets to sit on. Tickets will be free, with donations accepted via cash or card, and are available for pickup at the box office starting 1 hour prior to curtain. Advance reservations are available for groups of 10 or more. All performances are at Hamman Hall, entrance 21, off Rice Blvd. For more information, visit facebook.com/RiceTheatre or theatre.rice.edu or call/email the box office at 713-348-4005 and hamman@rice.edu.

Production Images