PENSACOLA, Fla. — When young lovers avoid an arranged marriage by fleeing into a nearby forest, they run afoul of the fairy king Oberon and his mischievous assistant Puck in Shakespeare’s popular comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

The fairies’ actions lead to a falling out and a duel between the young friends. At the same time, a troupe of amateur actors rehearsing in the forest become unexpectedly involved in the events.

Director Michelle Hancock is adding a few pop culture twists of her own in this joint production of Treehouse Theatre and the Southeastern Teen Shakespeare Co. (SETSCO). The Bard sprinkled his script with allusions to characters from literature and mythology. Hancock is replacing a few of those with references to 1980s pop culture.

“A joke isn't funny if people don't get it,” Hancock explains. “Most audience members today don’t know who Limander and Helen are, but they’ll recognize the names Charles and Diana. The script changes we have made don’t change the dialogue substantively. They do, however, allow people who don’t hold advanced degrees in 16th century English literature to access the type of wordplay that Shakespeare’s audiences enjoyed.”

Performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will take place April 9-11 and 16-18, in the Valerie J. Russenberger Theatre at the Pensacola Cultural Center.

Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees begin at 2:30.

Prices are $20, $18, $16 and $14 for adults, and half price for children 12 and younger. A $1 handling fee is charged for each ticket printed.

For tickets, call (850) 432-2042, or visit the Box Office at 400 S. Jefferson Street in downtown Pensacola.