When choreographer Zachary Kapeluck was invited to choreograph the classic ballet A Midsummer Night’s Dream for First State Ballet Theatre, he knew he wanted to do something different.
“I immediately knew that I didn't want to do the typical Midsummer. I didn't want to use the original score," he said.
Instead, Kapeluck turned to his own Ukrainian-American heritage for inspiration.
“Eventually it got me to thinking that there [were] some really strong parallels between the Midsummer Night's Dream story and very traditional Ukrainian rituals for midsummer," he said.
Instead of Mendelssohn’s original 19th Century score, Kapeluck turned to 20th Century works by a pair of Ukrainian composers, Myroslav Skoryk and Thomas de Hartmann. He says he hopes that audiences will enjoy discovering music that is unknown to many.
"I've even discovered in my research with finding the music I wanted to use for the score, some beautiful, beautiful music from these Ukrainian composers of the 1900s," he said. "Maybe an audience member will be like, 'wow, that's gorgeous,' and want to leave and research and hear more."
Kapeluck's Ukrainian re-envisioning also shows up on stage, with a minimal set that points to the country’s folklore and costumes inspired by traditional Ukrainian dress.
"Young ladies will wreathe flowers into a crown, and then set it adrift in the river in the hopes that, someone, some lucky guy or girl, will pick it up and you'll find your soul mate," he says. "And I'm working with a costume designer who is also taking a lot of influence from traditional Ukrainian embroidery."
He says he hopes the world premiere performance ignites curiosity among theatre-goers.
"I hope that they're entertained by it. It's a fun story. It's a fun play, so I hope that they find moments to laugh. I hope that they find moments that they find beautiful, and that they're struck by the beauty of it," he says. "As a Ukrainian American who still quite involved with Ukrainian culture, I also hope that maybe it sparks an interest in something in that regard."
Kapeluck’s world premiere production runs April 5 and 6 at the Grand in Wilmington.
More information on the shows, including how to purchase tockets can be found at the First State Ballet Theatre website.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
