Raising the curtain on its first full production with a two-weekend run since 2020, the Vashon High School Theatre Department will present Shakespeare’s lyrical and comedic play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” this weekend and next.

The show has been in rehearsal for the past seven weeks, with theater teacher and director Andy James at the helm.

A total of 21 students are in the show, playing both mortals and immortals caught up in a playful plot centering on human folly and true love.

Youth have also worked behind the scenes to create the show’s sets, lights and costumes, and the production will also boast original music by Zander Knodt, Aidan Clarke and Simon Grant — all VHS students who also contributed music to the Vashon High School’s production of “the wild i,” in December.

The students in the cast have “every range of experience,” James said, with some having performed in dozens of shows while others are treading the boards for the first time ever.

To help guide the students and shape the production, James has enlisted several talented members of Vashon’s vibrant theater community to mentor the cast during the rehearsal process.

Professional actors Darragh Kennan and Amy Broomhall have assisted with dialogue direction, helping the students make sense of Shakespearean language and tackle tricky pronunciations of unfamiliar words. Martha Enson, with a wealth of experience in movement through her long associations with UMO Ensemble and Teatro Zinzanni, has created choreography for the show.

Two other luminaries on the island theater scene and beyond, Meghan Ames and Christopher Kehoe, have served as comedic coaches for the students.

For junior Phoebe Ray, who is playing Hermia in the production, live theatre is one of her life’s passions — and one of the things she missed most during the pandemic.

“This is a fun show, with a lot of scenes that are silly and full of slapstick comedy,” said Ray. “I know when I’m in the audience, I love seeing plays where the actors are having a lot of fun, and I’m really excited for the audience to see and feel that in our production.”

Calling the plot a tale of “mixed identities and magical transformations,” James also promised the play will be funny and filled with energy.

“‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is a story about people losing their way and coming out renewed,” he said. “So that theme, that energy, and that sense of renewal and delight is something I wanted my students to get to act out. It’s going to be a beautifully silly production.”

Performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will take place at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, March 18 and 19, and March 25 and 26. There will be a 1 p.m. matinee on Sunday, March 20. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 for students/seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online, by following the directions located on vashonsd.org/vhs. For the safety of the students involved in the production and all attending, masks are required for audience members.