LANCASTER — Festivalgoers who attended the adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at St. Mary Catholic Church were given a midsummer evening treat.

A near-capacity crowd filled the church for the adaptation of the Shakespearean play. The audience not only witnessed a version of the play, but also were graced with classical music and the voice of soprano Alfreda Burke.

"I was here last Thursday and I enjoyed that," said Impearl Carreker of Columbus. "I really enjoyed the singing (of Alfreda Burke)," said Carreker.

The show began with Maestro Gary Sheldon conducting The Lancaster Festival Orchestra through the Antonio Vivaldi sonnet "Summer." Burke appeared next to treat the audience with a rendition of "Knoxville: Summer of 1915".

After the intermission was followed by another set from the orchestra, the play became the thing as the character Puck, played by Judson Veatch, walked through the center aisle pretending to have a conversation with several audience members.

Actor Tbny Roberts served as the show's narrator and Oberon, king of the fairies. Roberts also played the role of Theseus, duke of Athens. Burke had a role in the production, playing the first fairy, servant of Titania, queen of the fairies.

"This is great, I love 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' " said Angel Alien, 15, of Lancaster. "My high school did it — I love the music."

Although their roles contained little or no dialogue, the crew members cast as bit players — the attendant fairies, the court jesters and the royal wedding couple — also had time on stage. The actors and dancers were teens and young adults, all from the Columbus Dance Theatre.

Already a veteran of The Lancaster Festival, one teenage actor playing a court jester felt no pressure about sharing the stage with Roberts and Burke.

"It's too much fun to be scared," said Lauren Sewell, who performed last year at The Festival in the "Trumpet of the Swan."

"You get to meet a lot of cool people," she said.

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