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September 20, 2015

Everybody’s a Bottom in Eric Tucker’s riotous production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” in which a cast of five divides and multiplies like a troupe of stage-struck amoebas. Bottom the Weaver, you may recall, is the overeager amateur actor in this Shakespeare comedy of crazy mixed-up love — the one who wants to play all the parts, be they heroes, lions or ladies. In Mr. Tucker’s version, which opened on Sunday at the Pearl Theater, Bottom is portrayed most zealously and multifariously by Jason O’Connell. But it seems clear that all the performers here have been infected by Bottom’s bottomless passion to take on any role that might be on offer, and to turn every thought and impulse into theatrical action. In their hands, Shakespeare’s tale of love lost and found in an enchanted forest becomes a gleeful paean to the joys of losing and finding yourself through acting. And it’s not just silly show-off antics that are on display, although there are enough of those to keep a child in a state of contented giggles.

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