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Your support keeps truth alive in Decorah—donate to local news today! DECORAH — The New Minowa Players are gearing up for their spring production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," set to take the stage from April 9-13 at the New Minowa Players Theatre in Decorah. Due to an overwhelming response to ticket sales, an additional performance has been added on Wednesday, April 9. Directed by David Mendez, this timeless Shakespearean comedy promises to bring an evening of enchantment, confusion and merriment to the community. Set in Athens, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" follows a tangled love story disrupted by magic. A chaotic night in the woods filled with love potions, mistaken identities and a play within a play ensues, leading to a surreal yet joyful conclusion. In his directorial role, Mendez has clearly found joy in working on this production. "Midsummer has always been one of my favorite Shakespeare shows," he said. "The magic elements always intrigued me, and the parallels of society between the Athenian and Fairy kingdoms are fun to dissect and continually question. It is a nice 'gateway show' for anyone who hasn't seen or been a part of Shakespeare. I hope we can bring the community some joy and pure fun with this show!" The cast, which includes both seasoned NMP actors and newcomers, has embraced the whimsy and challenges of performing Shakespeare. Hailey Sickler, a first-year student at Luther College, is playing Hermia. She shared how she was drawn to the production: "My high school in Rockford, Illinois, was doing this show this spring, and I had just graduated. I really wanted to be a part of it, so when I saw the audition poster, I knew I had to get involved." Addison Cross, a Spring Grove native who plays Lysander, also expressed excitement about the opportunity. "I love Shakespeare so much that whenever I see a Shakespeare show, I want to be in it. This story is really great in particular. I've been in this show before, so getting to portray a different lover has been very exciting. Working with other like-minded people in Decorah for my third show here has been very fulfilling." Dave Gosch, who plays Oberon, shared his thoughts as a first-time Shakespeare actor: "This being my first Shakespeare show, it's been surprisingly easy to learn and perform the language. The cadence has been an easier journey to learning my lines compared to other shows. I auditioned to try something new, get out of my comfort zone and do something I never thought I'd do. I hope the audience can come to our performances and forget about the world in general for two and a half hours and enjoy life for a little bit." For Alison Blake, playing Titania, the production also represents a new challenge. "I've never done Shakespeare before, and this one is timeless. I hope the audience gets to laugh and enjoy the moment in the time that they're here in the theatre with us." Tickets can be purchased online at newminowaplayers.org/tickets, where some auxiliary seat tickets for Wednesday's show are available, or locally at the Oneota Community Food Co-op. A few tickets remain for the other performances, but seats are filling up quickly. Additional seating options are available behind the rest of the audience if attendees are comfortable with that arrangement. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" will be performed April 9-13 at New Minowa Players Theatre, located at 906 South Mill Street in Decorah. Evening performances are April 9-12 at 7 p.m., and a 2 p.m. matinee will be held on Sunday, April 13. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children age 12 and under. Sponsors for the show include Copyland, Decorah Bank & Trust, Gallery of Tops, Iroc Web Design Services, Bill Musser, Otter Dreaming, Cleo, Paige and Aurora, JoAn and Steven Nelson, Carl Peterson, Pizza Ranch, Martin and Marco Refsal, Sabin Family Table Restaurant, Rick and Sheryl Scheffert, and Singing Hammers Construction. For more information, or to secure your ticket, visit newminowaplayers.org/tickets or email newminowaplayers@gmail.com. Stay informed, stay inspired! Newsletter sign up is free and join hundreds of free subscribers who rely on DecorahNews.com for trusted information and fresh perspectives.

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Extra Performance Added for The New Minowa Players' "A Midsummer Night's Dream"