My Journey to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

            As a Christmas gift, my Grandma heard I was taking a class on Shakespeare and decided that I should experience his work in person. I received tickets to see “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at The Denver Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, February 4^th. It was an amazing performance that had me laughing non-stop. This play is interesting in the fact that we know very little about the history of the play. Historians do not know the exact date of the play’s first performance but they do suspect that the play was performed for a wedding celebration in the palace. From class we have learned how difficult it is to direct a play that has limited direction. Kent Thompson, the director of this particular play had some different interpretations from other directors.

            Originally the play has more emphasis on the young lovers and their complex relationship in the magical forest. In Thompson’s rendition he finds interest in the veteran lovers, Oberon and Titania. The two old loves seem accustom to the young lovers due to their long relationship of squabbling for 30 years and usually get over it.

            Thompson also wanted to focus on the danger of the forest. Even though no one is in danger. Thompson wanted to have the characters be unaware that the forest could become a jungle. Puck is playful but that could get out of control. He feels that it “is the classic opportunity for comedy. Audiences love to see characters almost go too far and then find their way back.” This interest in pushing the boundaries of the play allows for a different personality from other interpretations of the play.

            Unlike other versions of the play, Thompson went for a fresher and lighter version that allows the humor to shine through.  He did an amazing job at making a play that was written in the Elizabethan era seem relevant in the 21^st century. A wonderful summary of the performance by Dan Sullivan says, “Dream remains an amazingly fresh play, a remix of classical legend, down home superstition and backstage foolery, braided into a tall tale that keeps us laughing and leaves us reflecting.”