| A beautiful fairy tale. Filled with star crossed lovers, physical and metaphysical royalty, and players of a most lamentable play. Fairies, mortals... Oh yeah, and an ass. |
Cast: [top] Hermia - Girl Lysander - Guy Helena - Girl Demetrius - Guy Theseus - Duke of Athens, Greece Hippolyta - Queen of the Amazons, future wife to Theseus Egeus - Hermia's dad Philostrate - Master of the revels under Theseus Nick Bottom - Weaver, ass. Peter Quince - Carpenter Francis Flute - Bellows-mender Tom Snout - Tinker Snug - Joiner Robin Starveling - Tailor Oberon - King of the Fairies Titania - His queen Robin Goodfellow (Puck) - Fairy, servant to Oberon Peaseblossom - Fairy Cobweb - Fairy Mote - Fairy Mustardseed - Fairy Fairies, lords, extras, revels, bugs, amebas 
In my own words... [top] 1 : 1 The play opens in the court of Theseus, amid a lazy midsummer day. Theseus and Hippolyta are basking in what I can only assume to be a fierce afterglow, discussing the impending wedding and the joy they take therein. Their peace is interrupted most rudely by Egeus, followed by Lysander, Hermia, and Demetrius. Egeus, being the controlling father he is, begs Theseus to enforce Athenian laws on his daughter, Hermia. For you see, she is in love with Lysander (and he her). But, her father would rather her marry Demetrius, the more dignified man in his opinion. His daughter, being a very strong-willed woman, has chosen to stick with her beau in a very brave action. Theseus, forced to enforce the law, tells Hermia that she will either be executed or condemned to lifelong chastity for the rest of her life if she does not obey her father's wishes. (Kinda harsh, isn't it? Ohh, I'm UNITEing to da Beastie's....HARD. ; - ) Well, after the elders leave, Lysander and Hermia plan to elope in a romantic flight from civilization. Helena, their friend, enters, woeful from her many rejections from Demetrius. For you see, she loves him very much, yet is perpetually frustrated with his planned marriage to Hermia. Lysander and Hermia tell Helena about their plans to elope, as all good friends should do. Helena, in turn, tells Demetrius the news hoping that he will forget about Hermia and start to love her. The plot thickens... 1 : 2 Six middle class men from Athens come into the town to discuss a venture they wish to undertake. They plan to put on a play, "The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe." Bottom will be the most noble Pyramus. Flute will play Thisbe. Starveling will play Thisbe's mother, Quince her father. Snout will play Pyramus' father. Snug is given the part of the Lion. Snug is afraid his roaring will be too ferocious for the ladies who will be in the crowd, and hopes no one will be frightened. What considerate gentlemen they are... They plan to meet later in the woods outside of Athens to rehearse after the rest of the parts are given. 2 : 1 In the forest, we meet the mystical Fairies. Titania and Oberon, the royalty of fairies, are having a bitter quarrel which has made them separate for a little while. Titania has acquired an Indian boy, a very cool novelty to a fairy, and refuses to give the boy to Oberon, who wants him as part of his heroic train. So the situation stands, with both unyielding. Titania leaves with her attendants, once again fed up with Oberon's stubborn nature. He calls on his faithful servant Robin Goodfellow, a Puck with many spritely abilities, to help him get the boy. Oberon sends him to the far ends of the earth to find a flower, whose nectar, if applied to a sleeping person's eyelids, will make them fall in love with the first person they see. Oberon wants to use it on Titania, so she will become distracted and he can get the boy. After Robin leaves, Demetrius enters, looking for Hermia (to stop her elopation). Helena is hot on the heels of her love, but is constantly (and rudely) rejected every time she gets close. Oberon sees all of this, and is appalled at poor Helena, who is rejected yet still loves on. When Robin returns, Oberon tells him to apply the potion to Titania and an Athenian man (Demetrius). 2 : 2 While livin' the life with her fellow fairies in the woods, Titania gets real tired and goes to sleep. Her fairies go away, and Oberon sneaks up and puts the love potion on her eyelids. He then leaves, leaving her to open her eyes upon some woodland creature and fall in love. Hermia and Lysander, the two lovebirds, enter from a long night of running. (They can't see Titania, being a fairy and all...). They are so tired, in fact, that they fall asleep on the ground too, in little beds of green they picked out a little ways off from each other. Robin stumbles upon the couple, seeing Hermia separate from Lysander, takes her to be the scorned lover that Oberon was sympathizing with. He mistakes Lysander for the Athenian man, and places the potion on his eyelids. His job done, he leaves to find Oberon. Demetrius, pursued by Helena, enters. Demetrius finally shrugs her off and runs off to find Hermia (not seeing her there). A sad and tired Helena, too wiped to keep chasing her beau, finds Lysander and wakes him up. As the potion works its magic, Lysander falls madly in love with Helena. Helena, being a good friend to both Lysander and Hermia, is appalled that he would be so cruel as to leave his bride-to-be. Helena, fearing him crazy, leaves and is pursued quickly by the smitten Lysander. Hermia wakes up alone, unable to find her beau. Dismayed, she leaves to find Lysander. 3 : 1 Out in the woods, the newly formed troupe of workmen have converged to study and rehearse their parts. They decide that a prologue will be needed to inform the ladies that the lion is only acting, and should not frighten them. As they begin to rehearse, Robin Goodfellow enters. Seeing the players close to Titania (who is still sleeping there), Robin gets it in his head to cause a little mischief. So, when Nick Bottom exits after his Pyramus part, he comes back with the head of an ass (donkey, that is). Quite frightened, the players flee. Nick, alone, begins to sing, lonely and outcast from the world. Titania, woken by the song, falls instantly in love with Nick. She tells of her love and lust, and takes Nick away to lounge in the midsummer day. 3 : 2 Robin, back from his successful mission, tells Oberon of his actions. Titania has fallen in love with a monster, an ass, and a bad actor to boot. Demetrius enters with Hermia, spouting pledges of his love and scaring poor Hermia. Hermia is very angered at his actions, and ends up storming off. Demetrius, knowing that he can really do nothing to help his point with her so mad, decides to go to sleep. Oberon, watching with Robin this whole time, realizes that Robin screwed up and made the wrong Athenian fall in love. He sends Robin off to lead Helena there, then applies the potion to Demetrius. Robin returns with Helena, followed by Lysander, who has fallen in love with her. Demetrius awakes and falls in love with Helena, making the number of wooers two. Naturally, she thinks that both men are playing a cruel trick on her, making fun of the poor virgin. Hermia enters and finds that her beau has joined up with Helena. Helena thinks that Hermia is in on the trick, while Hermia thinks that Helena is a vicious backstabbing bitch. Poor Hermia tries and tries to get her beau back, but faces only hurtful rejection and volleys of slurs. Lysander and Demetrius, both determined to win Helena, leave to duel. Fed up with the situation, and weary of any more cruel taunting, the women also leave. Oberon wants to make everything right again, so sends Robin to impersonate each of the men to lead them away from each other until they fall asleep. Oberon, confident that the situation is almost resolved, leaves to coerce the indian boy away from Titania. Robin confuses and exhausts the lovers with a dreamlike swiftness, until they are all asleep. Then, he applies the potion to Lysander and leaves. 4 : 1 Swooning with love for her beloved ass, Titania finds a nice place to woo. She and the other fairies pamper and serve Bottom music and joy, further delighting this simple workman. When the time wanes, they fall asleep (most likely in each other's arms, aww...). Oberon, who has been watching this display, welcomes Robin. He tells Robin that the plan was successful, that he has the indian boy. Knowing his job done, applies the potion to Titania's eyes once again. He wakes his beloved wife, to have her fall madly in love with him. She openly wonders why she could ever love the ass beside her, but is happy to be back with her loving husband. Titania and Oberon dance, only to leave as soon as people come. Theseus enters with his fiancee Hippolyta, Egeus, and the rest of a kingly train. The lovers, asleep this whole time, are awaken. Demetrius falls in love with Helena, and Lysander loves Hermia once again. Lysander let slip the fact of their elopation, and Egeus (Hermia's father) begs Theseus to enforce the Athenian law. But Demetrius, telling of his love for Helena now, does not want to marry Hermia. Theseus decides to screw Egeus, and instructs the lovers to marry their respected other at his wedding with Hippolyta. The King and his people exit, leaving the lovers alone. They wonder at the strange "dream" they had, but go off to the temple. Bottom, alone, wakes. Well, barely awake, he recounts the wonder of his own dream and makes his way back to Athens. 4 : 2 The players express their sadness at not being able to perform their play, since Bottom was their best actor and cannot be replaced. Bottom then enters, amazing his friends with his normal appearance. He explains that their play will be performed tonight and they all must prepare. They all exit. 5 : 1 Theseus discusses the retold dreams of the lovers with his bride, but tells everyone to dismiss it as pure fancy. Then, since the wedding is over yet the night is still young (and the honeymoon has not started..), they decide to hear a play. A short play, of ten lines. And a play that produces tears, only tears of laughter.. Then, the players enter and Quince tells the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe. Two lovers, from different kingdoms, meet in a hole in a wall. They fall in love, and plan to meet at a tomb to run away together. Thisbe comes upon the tomb first, but is frightened away by a lion, and drops her scarf in the process. The lion, with a bloody mouth, stains the scarf. Pyramus, seeing the stained scarf, thinks that the lion has eaten Thisbe, and promptly commits suicide. Thisbe, seeing her beau dead, kills herself. A tragic story... The king and his subjects howl with laughter at the talking wall, unthreatening lion, the moon that sets at a plea, and lovers who can't act. Theseus, happy with such a laughable performance, thinks it best to retire. Everyone disperses. Oberon, Titania, Robin, and hordes of other fairies then enter the court of Theseus. They dance, and wish the lovers well. A sort of be-all, end-all to the play, then they leave. Robin, alone, urges the audience to forget all that they have seen on stage, and dismiss it as a.......dream. 
In my humble opinion... [top] Alas! Woe is me! You see, this may take a bit of explaining. Yesterday, after a damn good time seein' The Matrix, I retired with my friends to one of their houses. There, on a landing, I walked backward into a step I didn't know was there and......well, appendages went flying. So, here I am. Enjoying my Spring Break in an air-cast, on my bed (which luckily is obsessedly close to my computer), feeling sorry for myself and trying to make the best of it. Yes, this has nothing to do with the play, but give me a second......this story needs to be told. First of all, the people in the triage and emergency unit of Shady Grove hospital are awesome. My doctor, Mark. My nurse Peter. My radiologist and the other orderly were awesome too. The radiologist had been on shift for 32 hours straight! They were all nice and made my injury livable. Second, crutches were made by lucifer himself. Thousands of years of medical advancement, and I'm left sticking something in my armpit?! Getting around my house is a real bitch. Actually, after writing that last sentence, I went to the bathroom. It took 20mins, and I now have a full sweat, just to give you an idea of how rough this is. Plus, I've got a Rear Window kinda thing going on now. I can see you... (YES, YOU!). When I don't need the crutches anymore, I'm going to chuck them into a river like a Polaris missile. Lastly, this predicament better get me something.. Don't girls like guys in casts? We're more vulnerable and sweet, I guess. Or that's just me.. Anyway, I want a few hugs. I deserve that much for hopping to my toilet... So girls, let the lovin' begin! Ok, now back to the play! This is probably my second favorite comedy ever, with Much Ado just inching out, and Twelfth Night a very close third. Why? Well, lots of reasons... First, the play's first act has to be such a kickin' setup. There are so many plots that could be hatched from it. Two pairs of lovers, a love triangle of sorts, idiot workmen, it has it all! Second, the invention of the love potion was pure genius. It was original for the time, so any notion of it being hackneyed is B.S. Third, poor Helena! She loves Demetrius even if he hates her. It shows a total determination, and a vivid description of what such a hell is like. She's just so cute! Innocent, and broken. A damsel in distress if I ever saw one (which I haven't). Makes me want to get Trigger out of his barn and start my run... Fourth, the fairies! Robin is the man! Titania is a fox! Nuff said. Fifth, Bottom the ass! "Scratch my head." "I am such a tender ass, that if my hairs do but tickle, I must scratch.." That is so cool! Lastly, the whole thing. It was just a marvelous thing to read. I can't wait for the movie! Michelle Pfeiffer, grrrrrrr... I'd be her Nick any day! As for music, anthing ska or light punk goes nicely. Reggae is perfect. Send me some get well email! Jeff. ; - ) More... [top] A Midsummer Night's Dream - The official movie site. From what I see, its going to be quite a shindig, baby! Any girl care to escort me? I'll pay, like the gentlemen I am.. C'mon, any takers? A Midsummer Course - Comprehensve online study course. Why not just buy the damn book? A Midsummer Page - Yep, you guessed it, better than my Midsummer page alone.. Lots of good links, insights which are blatantly obvious to anyone who reads the play. Nice site, kinda stale though. I stole a pic.
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