The Festival's Opening night film tells the story of another explosive opening night performance that almost doesn't happen. Documenting the groundbreaking effort of the Artists Repertory Theater of Portland and the Central Dramatic Company of Vietnam to stage A Midsummer Night's Dream, A DREAM IN HANOI shows the myriad ways that things can go wrong and the passion, commitment, trust and respect that ultimately make things work. Tensions rise quickly during rehearsal. Can the physically demonstrative American actors play opposite their more restrained Vietnamese counterparts?
Will Doan Hoang Giang’s attempts to add Vietnamese elements to the staging fly with a dramaturg steeped in Shakespearean traditionalism? Tempers flare; cultural differences over work habits, schedules, and the complexities of navigating the Vietnamese censorship bureaucracy all add to the tremendous challenges. At the end of the struggle, an actor correctly notes,“We have earned the right to call each other friends.” Preceded by INDIANA ARIA, a passionate portrait of young conservatory singers and the tough road to a career at the Opera. – Patrick Wickham ORDER TICKETS NOW

Sponsored by: Bonterra Vineyards