I’m no theatrical scholar. But I have seen my share of high-quality productions ranging from Broadway to Hennepin, and even some of Wisconsin’s finest including both the American and Peninsula Players. With that in mind, I feel confident to say that good theatre is, at least in part, about the creation of experiences. An obvious part of such an experience is the performance from the actors. But an equally important role is played by the set, lights, costumes, music and sound design – the things you may not even notice when they’re done well. For me, those elements go far in immersing the viewer in the magic that theatre can create. After catching a glimpse of the set under construction for UW-Eau Claire’s current production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I was quite excited to go. And I wasn’t disappointed. While the Shakespearian play was excellently (and hilariously) performed, it was the amazing steam punk spin on the set, costuming, and sound design that so entranced me. As the photo above can only hint at, the team at UWEC created an amazing historic/futuristic world for the characters to inhabit – a multi-tiered world filled with giant gears and suspended chains, a fully climbable scaffolding of metal and windows, vintage lighting fixtures, and a deep, foggy moat of water around center stage which was often splashed right into the audience during battles and chases. As is often the case in Riverside Theatre, actors entered and exited through the audience and on various levels of staging, all creating a truly immersive experience for the audience. It was a truly fantastic show. And there’s still time to catch it – it runs through April 27.