Veteran actor Bruce Dow prompted rave reviews earlier this season for his portrayal on Broadway of King Herod in the production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” that originated at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Now he inhabits Bottom, a character of very different stripes, in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“Every actor wants to be a serious actor, so Bottom is a real challenge,” Dow said. “He’s a braggart, while my humor is more self-effacing. He goes on a really cool journey that lightens up on the way. In this production, I find myself one of five or six shameless comedians with a broad range of age and comedy styles, from sophisticated British to borscht belt. It’s great to be part of such a wonderful cast.