The mingled sounds of poetry and laughter rang through The Arboretum on Wednesday night as SummerFest opened its season of outdoor theater with Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. This play always seems to thrive in an outdoor setting, with  audience and actors alike enjoying a warm summer evening surrounded by nature.

This enjoyable production of the familiar classic was directed by one of the region's foremost Shakespearean actors, Adam Luckey, and although I found myself wondering what he might have done with the roles of Oberon or Demetrius, his marshaling and blending of the various talent and experience levels in his cast was admirable.