A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Opera Philadelphia. (Photo by Kelly & Massa)

It may have taken 28 years to see Robert Carsen’s production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the U. S., but it was worth waiting for. Kudos to Opera Philadelphia for making it happen—and for delivering a sensational version, both musically and theatrically.

I’ve had mixed feelings in the past about Carsen’s work, but this is as good a case for his vision as any I’ve seen. A central scenographic idea (Michael Levine did the sets and costumes; Carsen himself designed the lighting with Peter Van Praet) evokes beds, wittily configured in an array of  sizes and arrangements, bringing us directly into two of the plays central themes: sexual attraction and, of course, dreaming…

Read the complete review at Parterre Box.