Duct tape, hot glue and pipecleaners…

…that’s what held most of the costumes and headpieces together for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

We finished our three week intensive with four shows over the weekend—and truly pulled off a miracle. I ask thee–a Shakespeare play in an outdoor venue with 22 kids ranging from 12-17? Kids who used scary things like power tools, hot glue guns and sewing needles? A full production in three weeks? In 90 degree heat? I mean, were we Out Of Our Minds?

Aye, and again, aye.

Each night at 10:00, after a 14 hour day–as the young actors flew out the door (and blessed silence nearly hurt our ears,) we as directors would collapse and gaze at each other with wildly stunned expressions and gasp “What have we DONE?”

We would then hold up our right hands and solemnly swear that we would Never Work With Jr. High Girls Ever Again.

Whiney, giggly, entitled, spoiled, complaining, irresponsible, lazy, rude, self-centered…we didn’t know whether to pin them to the wall or hug them. (We ended up doing a little of both.) The older kids were fabulous with the younger ones. Inclusive, patient, kind–and yet not letting them get away with anything.

By the end of our three weeks together we had all learned amazing things from each other and grown tremendously from the experience. The miracle worked wonders in every single one of us. And as directors at the end of those three weeks, we knew for certain that the ones who benefited the most from the whole experience were those impossible Jr. High girls. We may even think about including that age group if we do this again next summer.

Maybe.

Under the direction of some extremely talented Shakespearian directors, professional actors and artists, these kids not only learned how to understand and vocalize (and memorize!) Shakespeare, they built the set, made the props, helped with their costumes, learned about lighting and did their own hair and makeup. Daunting, (if not insane) but as they proved…not impossible.

Here’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in pictures (and a few words).

Act I

Theseus—the Duke of Athens is going to be married to Hipployta. Hippolyta, who is an Amazon princess, is resigned to this union, but not so happy about it.

Egeus is a member of the court. His daughter is Hermia.

Egeus arranged marriage many years ago for Hermia to wed fine, upstanding young Demetrius. (many girls played male parts in our production—our casting pool dictated that-as we only had three boys- but it was also a tongue in cheek reversal of original Shakespeare where only men were allowed to be actors and played all women’s roles)

Hermia, much to her father’s rage, loathes Demetrius and is in love with Lysander.

Egeus thinks Lysander is a loser. According to the law of the times, Hermia must do as her father wants or she will be sent to a nunnery or be put to death.

Hermia and Lysander decide to meet in the woods and run away to another city to be together. “There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee: and to that place the sharp Athenian law cannot pursue us.”

Helena and Hermia have been friends since childhood.

Hermia tells Helena about her plans to elope with Lysander and how they are going to meet in the woods that night and run away.

Helena is totally in love with Demetrius, but he just doesn’t notice her. . “O, teach me how you look, and with what art you sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart.” She feels she is not able to compare with the beautiful and tiny Hermia.

All this love stuff makes Helena feel a bit jealous, and so in a bit of a snit, she tells Demetrius of Hermia and Lysanders plan to run away. This makes Demetruis upset, because he does have a bit of a crush on Hermia, and marriage to her wouldn’t really be so bad. Demetrius takes off for the woods after Hermia and Lysander—and Helena follows because..well, she just does.

A group of “Rustics” have heard that there is a contest and a chance of performing an amusement for the Dukes wedding. With Quince as their director, they meet to look over the script of “the most lamentable comedy, and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby”.

Flute, the bellows mender has been assigned the part of Thisby. He is not happy to be playing the part of a woman and says: “Nay, faith. Let me not play a woman: I have a beard coming!”

Bottom the weaver fancies himself to be a very good actor, and although he has gotten the lead role of Pyramus, he also wants to play everyone else’s part as well. ”Let me play Thisby too! I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice…!”

“…Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man’s heart good to hear me!”

In the end, they all agree to their parts, and excitedly discuss when and where to rehearse.

Act II

Meanwhile, deeper in the wood, the fairies begin to gather…..

We meet Puck..and the faeries ask:”..you art that shrewd and knavish sprite called Robin Goodfellow..are you not he?

And faeries…Moonflower, Cobweb, Moth, Thistle, Peaseblossom, Dusk, and Mustardseed

Titania, Queen of the faeries makes her entrance—she and her Oberon are in a quarrel and arenot too happy with each other ”…What, jealous Oberon! Faeries skip hence: I have forsworn his bed and his company!”

And Oberon, King of the Faeries and control freak. ”Tarry, rash wanton: am I not thy lord?”

They argue about things that faerie couples argue about and Titania sweeps away again.

Oberon plans his revenge after not getting his way and tells Puck to go find a certain flower that will make Titania fall in love with the next horrible creature she sees when she wakes up.

Oberon hears the lovers in the woods, and retreats to hear their conversations.

Helena has followed Demetrius and throws herself at him. In exasperation, he says ”Do I not in plainest truth tell you, I do not, nor I cannot love you?”

Helena, having lost all pride and sense responds: ”And even for that do I love you the more! I am your spaniel!…”

Demetrius takes off and leaves poor Helena alone in the wood to try and keep up with him.

Oberon, takes pity on Helena and vows to help the situation. Puck returns with the magical flower and Oberon says..”I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, where oxlips and the nodding violet grows….” He plans to put some of the nectar on Titania’s eyes in hopes of her waking to something awful. And also orders Puck to drop some on the eyes of Demetrius in hopes that he will wake to see Helena and love her as he should.

Titania sweeps in again with her entourage of faeries, dances to exhaustion, and as the faeries doze around her, she sleeps in her bower.

Oberon slips up to Titania–”..in thy eye that shall appear when thou wakest, it is thy dear. Wake when some vile thing is near.”

And now the wood is full of four confused and lost lovers. Hermia and Lysander are exhausted. Lysander wants to snuggle together, but Hermia has her virtue to protect. So disgruntled, Lysander sleeps away from her. Puck mistakes sleeping Lysander for Demetrius and wrongly drops nectar from the magical flower into Lysanders eyes.

Helena who has been stumbling about the wood trailing after Demetrius, comes across Lysander, and worried that he is dead, shakes him awake.”Lysander if you live, good sir, awake!” Of course upon waking he sees her and falls madly in love. ”..and run through fire I will for thy sweet sake!” Helena is gobsmacked and then furious, as she believes Lysander is making fun of her by pretending to be in love with her. She stomps off with Lysander in hot pursuit.

Acts III & IV

Meanwhile, the Rustics have all gathered in the wood to practice their play. They have a hilarious bumbling conversation and begin rehearsal. Bottom goes off stage, wanders into Pucks majical snare, and comes back to his group with donkey ears and hooves. Terrified at seeing Bottom thus-”O monstrous! O strange! We are haunted! Pray masters, FLY!” the Rustics desert poor Bottom in the wood. He begins to sing/bray to quell his fears and awakens Titania. ”What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?”

..and has her fairies dote doubtfully upon him.

All is pandemonium now. Lysander has deserted Hermia and is pursuing Helena through the woods. Oberon is furious with Puck for putting the potion in the wrong man’s eyes, and tells Puck to make it right. So Puck finds sleeping Demetrius and puts a spell on his eyes as well. Helena then falls over Demetrius who wakes up, sees her and says ”O Helena, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!” Now Helena is REALLY mad. Both men suddenly in love with her? It’s just too much humiliation.”O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent to set against me for your merriment!” Hermia, having gone nearly mad without Lysander, comes upon the scene only to find that Lysander is suddenly smitten with furious Helena. Terribly hurt she asks:”Am I not Hermia? Are you not Lysander? I am as fair now as I was erewhile..”

Soon it turns into a big cat-fight between Hermia and Helena, and a macho match between Lysander and Demetrius.

Oberon has a fit over the mistakes Puck has made, and is feeling regret at the mockery he himself has made of Titania—so he sends Puck off to find the antidote flower to make amends to this faerie mess. Puck leads the lovers in an exhausting circle and as they finally sleep on the ground, he takes away the spell from Lysander’s eyes. ”… in your waking shall be shown: Jack shall have Jill; Nought shall go ill….”

Now Oberon takes the spell from Titania’s eyes and she wakes ”My Oberon! What visions have I seen! Methought I was enamour’d of an ass!”

Morning finds the lovers sleeping beside their rightful mates and all are covered with flowers that the faeries have showered on them. Theseus and Hippolyta, out for a morning ride find the four asleep in the grass.

Theseus goes against Egeus’ wishes and allows Hermia to marry Lysander—which makes Hippolyta happier with Theseus, and as Shakespeare is wont to do…all three couples go and get married.

Bottom wakes up and knows that he had a weird but awesome dream..”I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what that dream was:man is but an ass, if he go about to expound this dream….”

Act V

Bottom is reunited with his friends, and they perform hilariously for the court.

At last the celebration is over and all is happily ended. ”The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve: Lovers, to bed; ’tis almost faerie time.”

And Puck ends the play:

”If we shadows have offended,

Think but this, and all is mended,

That you have but slumbered here

While these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme,

No more yielding but a dream.

Gentles do not reprehend:

If you pardon, we will mend”

And, as I am an honest Puck,

If we have unearned luck

Now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue,

We will make amends ere long:

Else the Puck a liar call:

So good night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends,

And Robin shall restore amends.”

:)xo

Adagio