2013 Arts in the City

Acting in a Mid Summer Night’s Dream

The performances in this rendition of Shakespeare’s legendary comedy displayed the many ways in which an actor can impact an audience. I saw in the acting a level of physicality, at times very flamboyant and at times more subtle, that added new layers to the words being communicated by the actors. The lines were at times exaggerated, undermined, or more artfully expressed, through the graceful movements of the actors.  Puck was given such a strong on stage presence what his charming wit and humorous antics. What really set him apart was his physical interactions with the sets and the other characters. His quirky mischief is personified through the actors physical interpretations of what Shakespeare has Pluck saying, and the otherworldliness of his character is given a stronger meaning through the flight so often incorporated in his scenes.

I can’t help but connect this to our study of Tibet Through the Red Box, in that they both work on two levels to add depth to a single story. The same way Peter Sis uses both his words and his art to demonstrate the different levels of the story; the directors and actors wield both the masterful Shakespearean dialogue and the incredible physical talents of the actors to provide a more fantastical, immersive, and impactful experience. I haven’t been able to shake the power of the moment in which Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena joined together to throw pillows at Hermia. Her solitude and the cruelty of a lost love created a deep empathy in me for her, while the humorous dialogue and the silliness of the pillows made me laugh. Feeling two such contradictory emotions adds depth to the experience and demonstrates the artistic effect of not only the acting, but also the expert directorial choices.

Choreography on Midsummer Night’s Dream

Duirng this play, as oppose to any other play that we’ve gone to watch, the choreography and movement of the many characters was especially important. What I noticed about the characters was that their choreography almost indicated their mood or role in the play. For example, Puck’s sporadic and flexible movement indicated to viewers that her main role was to be a form of comedic relief. Because she moved so fluidly, you could tell that she was always cheerful and giddy. I found this type of choreography to be consistent with most characters. Another example is when Lysander and Demetrius are fighting over the love of Helena. They’re movements were very fierce and aggressive and indicated their passionate love for Helena as well as their anger towards each other for wanting to pursue the same woman.

The choreography really helped me to understand the play better mainly because I had never read the play before. I also really enjoyed how the children and their choreography was utilized. There were many points throughout the performance where the children were used as a part of the scenery because of how they were moving. For instance, when Demtrius and Helena are running through the forest, the kids were rolling on the floor beneath them. This was supposed to be seen as logs that Lysander and Helena were running after.

The choreography was very important to understand different scenes as well. One scene that may have been interpreted different had it not been for the choreography was when the Lord of Shadows and Puck are on the stage but are supposed to be viewed as “invisible.” Lysander is professing his love for Helena while Puck and the lord of Shadows are making sly, discrete movements behind the bamboo sticks that represent the forest scenery. Had the lord of shadows and Puck been moving normally then the audience may receive the impression that they are just as visible as Lysander and Helena. Choreography played a very important role in the play being viewed as a fluid yet refined work of art. I thought the director did an amazing job in every minute detail of the characters’ movements.

Staging in MidsummerNight’s dream

MidsummerNight’s dream was remarkable in a number of fields, but it excelled in one place above all else – set design.

There are simply a ton of things to discuss with the set of Midsummernight’s dream -the use of poles to create a forest atmosphere, the outrageously creative and varying uses of large sheets, projections, and even the use of a wide assortment of hidden passages in the stage floor were all expertly planned and executed. I feel, however, that there is one particular set that stood above the rest of it, and that was the set outside of the traditional stage. There were a great deal of scenes throughout the production in which child fairies would sit amongst the audience, or when Oberon would watch from above in the background as dramatic events unfolded between the main cast. The members of the fairy world incorporated themselves into the play not simply as characters, but people observing the shenanigans that other characters were involved in, a role brilliantly represented by allowing these characters to break the fourth wall and use the seating around the stage as a stage.

My favorite Shakespeare play of all times…

Puck in my opinion did a great job. The actress did not overdo the acting that was expected of her. She was exaggerated, however, I think that was what Shakespeare was attempting to show through this character; mockery of human actions with a taste of wisdom.  The interactions between the four lovers was portrayed beautifully making them fun, but they also dealt with real life situations. The kids did an amazing job at decreasing whatever tension would build up within the characters. The acting of Hippolyta and Thesus was very royal-like, but they did not include the arrogant part that usually comes from the folks that are part of the upper class.

Midsummer Night’s Dream – Lighting

In the production of Midsummer Night’s Dream that we saw, the lighting was everything. Some of the characters, like Oberon and Titania, had special lighting effects: Oberon’s costume glowed in the dark, illuminating everything around him, and Titania’s costume had two lights stemming from the hood of her costume. These lights made these characters (who are fairies) really appear to be otherworldly. The fairy children also carried lights, helping to distinguish them from the humans.

Other lights were used to create ominous shadows. For example, when Helena chased Demetrius through the forest, small amounts of light were used to cast the tree’s shadows on the floor. This helped to create the frantic mood of the scene.

Interaction Between Characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The interaction between the characters in the play added a great deal of comedy to the piece as a whole.

The relationship between Hermia and Demetrius is mirrored in the relationship between Helena and Demetrius.  Hermia scorns Demetrius just as Demetrius scorns Helena, but both Demetrius and Helena chase after the person who caused them pain.  I don’t understand how anyone can continuously go back to someone who has hurt them so.  Yet, these relationships are presented in a comic way.  Helena even says that she is Demetrius’ dog that will follow him to the end no matter how much he beats her down.  Unknowingly, Demetrius acts this way towards Hermia.  Even though it is obvious that Hermia is hopelessly in love with Lysander.  This unrequired love had a comic twist to it. 

Lights: the Wonder of Projections

White light, red lights, and tons of projections. This production of Midsummer Night’s Dream basically used only the lights mentioned above. However, what made it magical was how they used such lighting. When the play began, the magical, mystical, but eerie setting of the fairy realm was depicted with a soft red hue created in the background. It was the start of the play and Puck was simply waiting by the bed for the house to quiet down. The soft red that shined in the background signaled that the creature on the stage, though innocent and good also had a darker and trickster side to him- that he belonged to a group of creatures that could do both good and harm. Of course many of these emotions were developed throughout the play, but at the start of the play, the eerie aspect of the fairy world was evident.
Puck and Titania wore pale but creamy costumes, I believe, purposely for the projector’s full effect to become present. The projections- whether of flowers, grass, bamboo rods, or bats- filled the entire back wall and added to the scenery, ultimately becoming a prop in itself. The scene in which Titania is in her hammock against the back wall of the stage and reels in Bottom- who by that time was transformed to have an asses’ head- using white sheets, used a projector to display a huge flower on Titania. The mouth of the flower pointed at the audience, the purple and yellow petals, the constant moving of the projected flower as if it were sucking in Bottom– were all so beautifully intertwined to make- what could have been a very sexual and R-rated scene- into a more moderate one that still gave justice to the passionate and thus horrid love of Titania’s for Bottom with his asses’ head. I never thought a projector would be used so extensively in a play, but it was what made this performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream so memorable.

Costumes

In the play the Midsummer Night’s Dream, the costumes the characters dress plays an important role in the way the play is presented. The beginning of the play featured the characters in clothes that would be worn by those of Shakespearean times, which was not surprising and it was very befitting. The attire consisted of long jackets, poofy sleeves, and collars called “ruffs.” The Shakespearean attire was dressed by the main human characters, Hermia, Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius. The Fairy Queen, Titania was dressed in this dress that seemed similar to a dress that Lady Gaga would wear; the dress had lights sticking out of her breasts and she had a plastic cape-like garment. She looked as though she came from another planet. By portraying her as almost extra-terrestrial, they help us, the viewers, differentiate between her and the other characters. The King of Shadows, Oberon, looked as though he was the Indian Chief. He had all those sticks, coming out of his attire and he had face paint. Puck, the fairy, that observes all the characters at all times and is subservient to Oberon’s commandments. Her costume was basically regular clothes, however, she had facepaint that distinguished her from others. Her facepaint was very white and allowed her to be distinguished as a fairy. I noticed that all the fairies were given something to make their skin whiter; this included the kids that played the fairies, the queen of fairies, and Puck herself.  The kids that played the other fairies were dressed in a white bodysuit so that it seems as though they are naked, which is how the fairies were portrayed in the original play.

I enjoyed the play very much; I loved the way there was a modern twist to it. The modern twist made it more comical than the original play was written out to be which made the play more enjoyable. The play was a great interpretation of the play and the play was a wonderful way to spend my evening.

Choreography

What stood out for me the most was the choreographed moves of the fairies, who in a sense became the forest while dancing as a unit. In this fairy-composed forest, Lysander tries getting away from Helena; they don’t run, they dance. It’s almost as if they are playing a game of tag.

Acting in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

This performance of  “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was the first time that I had come into contact with this play both as a visual performance and a written play.  I noticed that Hermia had the only authentic sounding British accent, which made her lines seem and feel Shakespearean.  Lysander, on the contrary, had a completely Americanized accent which made it difficult not to concentrate solely on his accent.  Oberon, the king of the fairies, fit the role he was cast in because he was a bulk and demanding actor, as a king should be.  The way Robin Goodfellow pranced around and performed stunts, by use of wires, was the greatest part of the performance.  Since Shakespeare’s play is tied together by Robin Goodfellow as an integral character in the play it made sense that the actor in this performance performed the most stunts out of all the other characters and that the play focused on her ability as an actress to perform those stunts.

Playing with Costume

I loved the way the costumes took a whimsical approach to the show.

Throughout the play, we see Helena, Hermia, Demetrius, and Lysander slowly lose articles of clothing. Hermia especially loses her stuffy apparel and slowly comes to look more like herself as the influence of the court slips away. My personal favorite scene was the pillow fight scene, where all the clothing was lost and so many laughs had. The director and costume designers both most have had fun with that scene, making it both applicable and ridiculous.

Oberon had a commanding presence with tribal based clothing and a shimmering purple-toned blackface addition. He was a perfect contrast to sparkling Titania, who literally brought light along with her. Together, these otherworldly beings contrasted not only each other, but the more human of the play.

Music in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

There was, surprisingly, a lot of music in this show. In this rendition of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the lines that are usually spoken but written as a song were actually sung, which I thought added a lot to the performance. The fairies were played by children, so their voices were young and had a children choir sound. Their pieces were often sung from the balconies, which created an ethereal,above-our-heads feel. They were also dissonant, which made the sound otherworldly. Their were two boy soloists that sang over the choir. Boy soloists and choirs are often called “angel choirs” and are used to get that angelic sound.
These pieces were used to establish mood and vibe. Music was also used for humor. When the actors thought that Bottom was dead, they began singing a funny version of Amazing Grace with improv. This made the audience laugh and further convinced us of the silliness of the characters.

Midsummer Night’s Dream

Music

The music throughout the performance was very important. The music was like another piece of the set in this play. The scenes that included the fairyland had music that was magical and light. You felt as though you had entered a magical land because the music was whimsical and light.

Puck reminds me of the jingle bell boy. He was playful but wise. When he entered, or was about to enter you started hearing the jingles and you knew who was coming on set. Puck’s music united the magically and worldly part that were two key aspects in the play.

Music

Music in this performance was crucial to determine the setting of each scene. In the fairy kingdom, children’s voices were utilized to portray their young and whimsical life style.

Costumes in Midsummer Night’s Dream

The costumes in this play truly made the entire experience an even more magical one. Each costume added more depth to the character and truly transformed the plot into a lifelike experience.

Acting in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Puck was undoubtedly my highlight for this production, as he (or she) single-handedly created the magical atmosphere of the fairy realm. I was also mesmerized by Oberon’s character, who had a uniquely regal air about him.

Costumes in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

In contrast to the adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” that we saw, which defied traditional roles of Elizabethan dress, in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” the dress was mainly traditional, renaissance-like dress. The fairies also kept to their traditional roles through dress. Bottom and his friends (“the workers”), however, were dressed as modern-day workers. They were wearing plaid, army, construction outfits, tool belts, baseball hats, scarves, gloves, and were carrying toolboxes.

Midsummer Night’s Dream – Lighting

All the previous dances and plays paled in comparison to this production. Lighting was used extensively to demonstrate time of day and setting. The large white sheet often served as a projector screen to show a variety of colors from the purple flower to the blue woods. The dark stage with white spotlights was the primary standard for indoor scenes. The shadows projected by white light were used to amplify emotional effect during Oberon’s speech and when Puck is misleading Demetrius and Lysander. Simply put, a high production play with high quality lighting.