Shenandoah Shakespeare Express presents A Midsummer NightÆs Dream

Praised by critics for ôblowing the cobwebs out of Elizabethan drama,ö Shenandoah Shakespeare delights audiences at home and abroad with a fresh, energetic approach to Shakespeare.

In all senses of the word A Midsummer NightÆs Dream is ShakespeareÆs most magical play: magical because it is inhabited by a troupe of supernatural creatures led by Titania, Oberon, and the hobgoblin Robin Goodfellow; but also magical because its theatrical spell is powerful enough to make audiences believe in anything. In this play fairies bicker over an orphan boy, lovers lost in the woods succumb to magic potions, legendary Greek heroes dispute issues of art, tradesmen rehearse a play in the woods, and û oh, yes û the Queen of the fairies falls in love with an ass-headed man.

Shakespearae certainly had young love on the brain in 1594 when he wrote his most popular comedy and his most popular tragedy; in many ways A Midsummer NightÆs Dream is Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending. Both comedy and tragedy swing from rapture to horror, both are propelled by exotic desire, both have lovers who sleep and dream while lightning flashes in the dark. In the comedy, thank heavens, our lovers eventually all wake up together, and the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is transformed into ôPyramus and Thisbe,ö which is something else entirely.

Stuff that happens during the play...

+ Theseus, the Duke of Athens, plans his marriage to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Egeus interrupts to complain that his daughter Hermia has fallen in love with Lysander. Theseus orders Hermia to obey her father and marry Demetrius; otherwise, she will be killed or sent to a nunnery.
+ Hermia and Lysander plan to escape to the woods, get married, and live off money from LysanderÆs rich aunt.
+ HermiaÆs friend Helena, who does love Demetrius, reveals the plan to him, and he follows Hermia and Lysander into the woods.
+ In the woods, Oberon, the fairy king, and Titania, his queen, are quarreling over the possession of an infant boy.
+ Oberon sends Puck to bewitch Titania, so that she will fall in love with the first creature she sees.
+ Bottom, an Athenian laborer, has come to the woods with his fellow workers to rehearse a play for Theseus and HippolytaÆs wedding celebration.
+ Puck places an assÆs head upon Bottom, with whom Titania promptly falls in love.
+ Oberon commands Puck to bewitch Demetrius so that he falls in love with Helena; Puck, however, mistakes Lysander for Demetrius. Discovering PuckÆs mistake, Oberon orders him to bewitch Demetrius as originally intended.
+ Oberon releases Titania from her infatuation with Bottom. Puck removes the spell from Lysander. Demetrius remains enchanted with Helena. But Egeus still wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, not Lysander.
+ Coupling and play-going ensue.

Probably no play of ShakespeareÆs has had as many different kinds of life in the theater as A Midsummer Night Dream. It gets done all the time, and has demonstrated an ability to thrive in the strangest places. I myself have directed the play set in colonial Malaysia and in Tudor England and in the fairyland of a full symphony orchestra playing MendelssohnÆs wonderful music. I have seen the play come to life in a white box, in a Gothic forest, and in the canals of Mars. This hardy tolerance of exotic environments is surprising when you consider that A Midsummer NightÆs Dream is also one of ShakespeareÆs most delicate plays, woven in part out of pure gossamer. But the playÆs sturdy delicacy is only one of its many oxymorons. Here are some more: O brawling love, O loving hate, /O anything of nothing first create/ . . . Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms, /Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, /Still waking sleep that is not what it is . . .. ThatÆs Romeo speaking, describing the torments of his love-soaked mind, but he might just as well have been describing the silly love-soaked action of A Midsummer NightÆs Dream, its "hot ice and wondrous strange snow."

Shakespeare certainly had young love on the brain in 1594 when he wrote his most popular comedy and his most popular tragedy; in many ways A Midsummer NightÆs Dream is Romeo & Juliet with a happy ending. Both comedy and tragedy swing from rapture to horror, both are propelled by erotic desire, both have lovers who sleep and dream while lightning flashes in the dark. In the comedy, thank heavens, our lovers eventually all wake up together, and the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is transformed by the mechanicals into "Pyramus and Thisbe," which is something else entirely.

In this production for Shenandoah Shakespeare, weÆre putting the play in the most exotic setting of all: no place at all. We arenÆt introducing the elaborate trappings of a designerÆs fantasy, and, as usual, weÆre leaving the lights on. Our magical spells are mostly compounded from ShakespeareÆs original ingredients: his poetry, the energies of actors, and the imaginations of our audience. Even so, we hope to take you deep into fairyland, into a life of waking sleep and transforming desire, an exotic world we think youÆll recognize as your own. Thanks for dreaming along with us.
-Murray Ross

Theseus, Duke of Athens -David Loar
Hippolyta, defeated Queen of the Amazons -Alexandra Cremer
Philostrate, servant to Theseus -James Ricks
Egeus, Father of Hermia -Kenneth Maxwell
Hermia, EgeusÆs daughter, in love with Lysander -Amanda McRaven
Helena, HermiaÆs friend, in love with Demetrius -Brandy Mettert
Lysander, wants to marry Hermia -Michael Newman
Demetrius, EgeusÆs choice to marry Hermia -Mark Allen Jeter
Oberon, King of the fairies -Daivd Loar
Titania, Queen of the fairies -Alexandra Cremer
Robin Goodfellow (Puck), OberonÆs fairy -James Ricks
Fairies -Kenneth Maxwell, Leah Roy, James Hurdle

Peter Quince, in charge of play -Kenneth Maxwell
Nick Bottom, plays Pyramus -Aaron Lyons
Francis Flute, plays Thisbe -James Hurdle
Snug, plays the Lion -Leah Roy

Director: Murray Ross
Assistant Director: Kenneth Maxwell
Costume Design: Kimberly G. Morris