It’s been two years since the theater department at Fullerton college has performed with a live audience. That is finally about to change as the curtains at Bronwyn Dodson Theatre prepare to rise for a masked audience as they prepare to put on a performance of “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.”

“A Midsummer’s Night Dream” is a play by William Shakespeare known for its humor and magic. The story follows four plotlines showing the preparations for an upcoming wedding, a quarrel amongst mischievous fairies, a love triangle, and the chaos amongst townspeople trying to put on a play for the wedding.

Adam McMorris, an acting major who plays Nick Bottom, said, “There’s nothing like having an audience right there. With Shakespeare, you have so much opportunity for fun and interaction, and of course that’s going to be looking a little different than it might have before but there’s nothing like that energy.”

The last show performed with a live audience was “Bright Star” in December of 2019, and in the spring of this year, they performed “La Llorona” via Zoom.

Meredith Cook, a theater arts for transfer major, said, “There’s a lot of the theater experience that gets lost in translation doing stuff digitally.” Cook plays a variety of roles, including Snug, Lion, and Mustardseed.

Both actors are looking forward to coming back to the stage with a live audience.

Of course, complications are to be expected when navigating through the pandemic but Cook said the only real issue they’ve had are some occasional absences since they want to ensure everyone who comes to rehearsal is feeling healthy. But Cook said that’s what understudies are for and that they’ve actually helped bring some new perspective on the roles.

She also mentioned a rotunda stage that has taken some getting used to.

Theatergoers will be asked to wear a mask and provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before entry. There will also be streaming options available for those who wish to watch from home.

There will be six live performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Tickets are $16 presale and $19 at the door.

Director and head of acting and stage combat, Michael Mueller, says that “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is the perfect story to welcome back the students and community of Fullerton College.

“It’s a fun play that has a lot of great messages. It is still possible, even in a world that has splintered in so many different ways, that we can still come together and that there are still some universal themes like love, caring for one another, ultimately helping one another, and having fun,” Mueller said.

Adam McMorris said, “One of the main themes of Midsummer is being able to escape. That idea of escapism and of finding a way to release some of that tension and just revel and enjoy life is something that really is magical. And in “Midsummer” that’s presented through magic, literally.”