Collaborative Theatre Project's production of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" will be on the Medford stage June 20-July 21. See listing for further show details.

The magical and mysterious world of fairies — ready with their mischievous pranks and manipulation of lovestruck humans — comes to life in an effervescent production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” now playing at the Collaborative Theatre Project through July 21.

This is the kind of play that would be nice to see CTP do more often. It’s a charming story, filled with amusing characters, sparkling tunics and costumes, imaginative staging and fine actors attuned to Elizabethan comedic rhyme.

It’s not as esoteric or dark as some of the classic vehicles this company has successfully promenaded past its faithful audiences the last season or two, but it is just as entertaining, and just right for this venue. There are what seem to be some permanent structures on CTP’s main stage. Granted, these structures make up for the lack of space for props, exits, entrances and scene changes, but they occasionally lend a heaviness to productions that don’t require it. In this instance they have been well-hidden behind an imaginative set that transforms from Athenian aristocrats’ chambers, to a forested, fairy’s lair. Other-worldly, dreamscape backdrops by Krysta Bannis and accurately directed lighting (and this auditorium is not easy to light) by Ryan Kelley, draw us in.

The atmosphere has been greatly enhanced by the addition of a harpist, Lynne Reardon, who punctuates scenes with Celtic tunes, lending an even lighter air to this tale. The company has once again made use of Wyndwolf Puppets, not necessarily new to “Midsummer,” but adding a layer of childlike play to this production.

As most Shakespeare buffs are aware, “Midsummer” is one of the Bard’s most beloved plays. It is light, joyous, funny and celebrates love. Director Susan Aversa, who has been the force and catalyst behind so many successful productions at CTP, has managed to capture the essence of this fairytale with timely direction, dreamlike costume design and attention to detail.

This story may be a bit of a romp, but it’s not easy to tell. We have the usual Shakespearean scenarios: unrequited love, couples who want to be together in spite of parental objections, a meddling aristocracy and characters who mess things up in spite of their master’s good intentions. There are three plot lines.

The first is about four young people; two of whom really want to be together and two who don’t. Hermia (Alex Szabo), and Helena (Tessa Alleman), have been friends since childhood. Hermia is in love with her young suitor Lysander (Allan Jones). Helena loves Demetrius (Nick Walker). Both of the young men however, are in love with Hermia, but Hermia’s father, Egeus (Ric Hagerman), insists she marry Demetrius. Rather than give in to her father, Hermia and Lysander escape into the nearby woods to be together. All five of these actors bring the story to life.

With the second plot line, an acting troupe, that apparently doesn’t get a lot of work because they’re really bad, is commissioned by governing King Theseus and his soon to be wife Hippolyta to perform at their upcoming Greek wedding — not necessarily a big, fat one — but a strange one, nevertheless. The acting troupe is headed by a puffed up, untalented buffoon named Bottom. All plays on words and references to the name “Bottom” set aside, it takes a really good actor to play a really bad one, and Erny Rosales is that actor.

The Greek King Theseus is played by Jason Esquerra and his part in the production is no small feat; Esquerra must also double as the King of the Fairies, Oberon. Kelley Ryan Vincent is equally up for the parts of Fairy Queen Titania, and the soon to be Greek Queen, Hippolyta.

In a third plot twist, Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, along with the acting troupe, are drawn into the fairies’ woods, and subsequently succumb to the power and trickery of Fairy King Oberon and his fairy sidekick, Puck. And oh, are you in for a treat. Tegan Kelley is mesmerizing as Puck. She’s agile, expressive and maybe one of the best Pucks ever. She somersaults, skips, dances and tiptoes her way across the stage and into your heart.

Puck winds up causing all kinds of mayhem — sprinkling love potions on the wrong people causing them to fall in love at first sight, turning a bad actor into an ass (the kind with four legs, thank you very much) and greatly displeasing master Theseus. It all must be undone.

If there are any belabored points to this play, they come from Shakespeare himself. It has always remained a mystery to this writer (outside of the obvious correlations to forbidden love), as to why the Bard spends an inordinate amount of time explaining, executing and then ridiculing the tragic love story of Pyramus and Thisbe. Perhaps it’s because the ill-fated lovers are doomed to express their love through a crack on either side of an insurmountable wall.

As the program most appropriately points out, Shakespeare was inspired by characters from other classic works at the time, but he manages to get them all together is this enchanting story, leaving one with the inevitable feeling that when it comes to falling in love, anything is possible. Indeed, it might cause us to understand Puck exclaiming, “Lord, what fools these mortals be.”

Collaborative Theatre Project’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 1:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, through July 21. If this were a film it would be rated PG-13 for sexual innuendo, staged violence and subject matter. Tickets are $40, $35 for seniors and students. The theater is located at 555 Medford Center, Medford. Tickets and information are available at ctpmedford.org, on Facebook, or by calling the box office at 541-779-1055. Group rates are available.