Hundreds of theater enthusiasts flocked to the warmth of the Guthrie Theater on Feb. 19. With a high of 3° F, a 1 p.m. showing of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” provided the perfect escape from the cold. The modern take on Shakespeare’s comedy proved to delight audience members of all ages.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” follows four young lovers in Athens who are flung into a neverending love triangle, or perhaps a love trapezoid would be more fitting, by two disjointed but well-meaning fairies. Throw in a doomed-from-the-start performance, a few love potions, and one set of donkey ears and you get the immaculate rendition of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

What’s better to preface a play about love than tell a real love story? At least that is what happened. Royer Bockus, who played Helena, stepped out onto stage, ukelele in hand, on the hunt for a great love story. Much to my surprise, she did exactly that after choosing an audience member to share how she and her husband of 46 years met (shoutout to Kathy and Dick). As a sucker for audience interaction, my attention was captured almost instantly.

When the first few characters strolled onto the stage, I knew this production would not be like any other. Rather than breath-ceasing corsets and gigantic ruffs, the four lovers opted for simple attire that a quick trip to the mall could recreate. The array of grey, black, and white clothing stood out against the burst of color from the set furnished with dark green vines and flowers of practically every color.

To say this play was simply funny would be an understatement. From the constant blunders the fairies created to the group fight between Helena, Lysander, Hermia, and Demetrius, it is safe to say I laughed from start to finish. A passerby could have guessed there was a laugh track playing as the audience burst into synonymous laughter after every joke. Very few productions I have seen have successfully landed every joke, but this cast knocked their delivery, facial expressions, and timing out of the park.

To be honest, I have never been one to sit through a Shakespearean play and leave the theater feeling like the last few hours were worth my time, but that could not have been more false for this show. From the coveted bag of Funyuns stealing the show every time they were brought out to the costumes that a quick trip to the mall could recreate, everything about this production screamed that it was created for our time.

The ending of this play is what sealed the deal. Bokus returned to the stage with her iconic ukelele and a scroll. She began singing a rather catchy tune of Kathy and Dick’s love story. I am pretty sure my and every person in that theater’s hearts melted at that moment.

If you have the chance to see “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Guthrie Theater, I would implore you to go. Who knows? Maybe you will leave with a personalized love song. The production runs from Feb. 1-Mar. 23.