A Note From the Director…
It strikes me that our production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream comes after a time of great renovations. My new home, the Phils office, and the auditorium itself have all been through a great deal of renewal, redesign, and remodeling in the last six months. Some of it is quite obvious: at my house, the red carpet has been removed to reveal the beautiful parquet of the original home; the scary ladder leading to the Phils office has been replaced by a real staircase; the show band for our musicals will now reside above the stage in the new orchestra loft. Other changes are not as visible: the plumbing that all had to be replaced at home; the new floors in the dressing rooms; the updates to the fire suppression system in the auditorium. Visible or invisible, the changes repaired what was broken and outdated and restored what was forgotten and taken for granted. This is a huge theme in Midsummer.
The play revolves around the celebration of a marriage brought about by war. The mechanicals who perform their play as a gift for the wedding are all people who mend and repair broken items—carpenters, tinkers, tailors, and weavers. The young lovers lost in the woods find their elders’ beliefs and traditions outdated and antiquated. And deep in the forest, the beautiful world we find on our stage is in chaos due to the fight between the Fairy King and Queen, who have taken each other for granted far too long. As the lovers travel deeper into the woods they find themselves lost in a world that is out of order, where fantastical things can happen and often change in a heartbeat. As anyone who has ever been part of a renovation knows, it is a stressful and chaotic time, in which things seem to disappear and reappear and things taken for granted often prove their importance and worth.
In the play as in real life, the changes happen and the renovations are complete. And we grow accustomed, we grow in patience, we grow in wisdom. And in the play as in life it all comes down to love. The Duke overrules the father, but the father now sees his daughter differently. The lovers realize they already had what they needed all along. And the world is back in order as the Fairy King and Queen realize how much they truly love and appreciate each other.
This is a great introduction to Shakespeare for young people. The characters are relatable; their actions, music, and dance are such a huge part of the story. We have chosen to set the show in the Victorian period, with Steampunk influences in our fairy world, and Felix Mendelssohn’s beautiful music… music he wrote as a teen himself. The Victorian era itself was the beginning of a huge time of change and “renovation” if you will. We’ve had a lot of fun reinventing this show for you.
Thank you for supporting the art at Jesuit,
Kate Arthurs-Goldberg
