Breakneck Midsummer Night’s Dream started with a pre-show disclaimer for all the Tim Mooney fans to explain why his sixteenth Shakespeare adaptation was no longer following the one-man show format: a (hopefully) fictional lawsuit brought on by all the “harrassed” audience participants who were dragged onto the stage in previous shows. With the tongue-in-cheek vibe clearly established, we were thrown into the highspeed world of Breakneck Shakespeare.
Not only did Tim manage to cram the show into an hour, but also modern asides commenting on the script itself. Using 2 chairs, 6 Christmas trees, and an absurd amount of hats, the 6 actors covered over 20 parts with beautiful and hilarious efficiency. You do not need to know Midsummer or even like Shakespeare to enjoy this production.
The entire cast easily met the challenge of playing multiple roles, but the standout performance was given by local Shawn Patrick Murphy, who dove head first into every role with an unparalleled vigor. This is a must see for KC Fringe 2025!
