In the forest of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, any dream that can come true, will.
I imagine that the forest is a place where one can achieve their heart’s desire; where things work out perfectly, just the way they are supposed to. Sounds perfect, right? And yet things rarely work out that way except for when we have a lovely dream. Our deepest wishes and fantasies do not always come true, but here in this forest, dreams coming true is guaranteed.
In our production, I wanted to emphasize how the muted colors of the real world contrast with the freewheeling, magical world of the fairies, where there are beds and pillows and we are never quite sure if we are awake or asleep. This play was my way of escaping reality for a while and creating a place where everyone gets what they want - a duke and his wife unite their two kingdoms, lovers and husbands reunite with their wives, a company of actors can find belonging and togetherness. But of course they have to go through some hijinks first!
Shakespeare plays have been performed for 400 years, and when plays run for that long, we have to ask ourselves why. I believe it is because Shakespeare's plays feature characters who are rich, deep, and nuanced. The language is just a tool for the characters to speak their deepest dreams and innermost thoughts. Harriet Walter said “You have to get bigger than you are in the first place to play Shakespeare. You have to grow to reach these characters, to reach the language, to reach the imagery. And because you hear yourself saying certain beautiful, powerful, extraordinary things, you hear your voice saying it, and you know your mind has thought it, it actually expands your sense of yourself.” This is the first Shakespeare play produced at Robinson in ten years, and it’s been wonderful to dig into that language and these characters with our enthusiastic students, who embraced Shakespeare with joy and excitement.
I hope this play is a small escape from reality for you. Practical people may disagree, but I think all of us deserve a chance to notice our inner child, have fun, play, and dream big. Thank you for coming on this journey with us.
Samantha Daynes
