A MAGICAL POP-UP SHAKESPEARE STAGED ON AN EAST LA PORCH

An iconic Shakespearean comedy finds new life, and new love, on the front porch of an Eastside Los Angeles home, transforming an ordinary yard into an extraordinary stage.

In Summer 2024, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was reimagined as a porchside performance in LA’s Eastside, directed by Claudia Restrepo and produced by Claudia Restrepo, Henry Loevner, and Kelsey Flynn. This unconventional production transformed a residential front yard into a whimsical outdoor theater, welcoming over 100 guests across multiple nights.

The goal was ambitious: build a grassroots, community-centered creative collective that could surprise, connect, and inspire- on a shoestring budget, with a porch as the proscenium.

Making the Magic Feel Real

That’s where I stepped in as Creative Technical Director, responsible for lighting and technical operations. My challenge was to bring theatrical atmosphere and visual storytelling into a space with no traditional infrastructure- just concrete steps, some bushes, and a lot of heart.

With minimal gear and limited setup time, we deployed a lighting system that could enchant and adapt. Strategic uplighting turned trees into enchanted forests. Portable lighting rigs elevated dream sequences. Practical effects like fairy flickers, dusk transitions, and spotlight reveals gave the show emotional rhythm and narrative lift.

In short: we turned a house into a dream- and a yard into a world.

A Creative Spark in the Heart of the City

The sold-out run became more than just a play. It became a rallying point for a growing creative community. Strangers became collaborators. Artists connected. Guests lingered long after curtain call.

In a city where creative isolation is the norm, this front porch became something rare: a shared stage for shared joy.