Venue: Theatre ofthe National Centre forthe Performing Arts
Dates: April 22-25, 2017
About
A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies and is a lyrical work widely performedacross the world.
This story happens between city and forest,sobriety and slumber, and reality and dream. Entering the magical forest islike stepping into a chaotic dream, mysterious, silent, and full of unpredictableelements like hidden passion and anxiety. The ancient city, on the other hand,represents social mechanism and order of social operation, capable of resolvingany conflict. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare creates a ceaselesssuccession of chaos and changes between the solemnity of Athens and the freedomof the forest. One story happens within another, and all establishedrelationships are broken apart. All these changes happen in the moonlit nightand end at daybreak.
For its first production of Shakespeare'splay, NCPA has thoroughly explored the original text of A Midsummer Night'sDream, staying true to the master’s work while keeping pace with the times. The70 “wood sticks” on the stage symbolize the fluidity of space. When it is inthe city, the arrangement of the sticks is regular and orderly, but once it isin the forest, the sticks and the crescent deck are placed in a ratherspontaneous manner. When the stage is full of changes, it provides morepossibilities for performance and greater space for the viewers' imagination.
Synopsis
In a midsummer night in Athens, DukeTheseus and his fiancee are busy preparing their wedding. In the meantime,another couple of lovers are worrying about their love. The beautiful Hermia isin love with Lysander, but her father Egeus insists that she weds Demetrius.Egeus’ demand is supported by the Duke. Should Hermia resist she would besentenced to death or a lifetime of chastity, according to the Athenian law. Topursue their love, Hermia and Lysander flee into the forest outside Athens.
In the forest, the King of Fairies intendsto make a fool of his queen. He calls upon the shrewd spirit Puck to put a dropof love-potion on the eyelids of the sleeping queen, so that she would fall inlove with the first person she sees when she wakes. Somehow, Puck gives thelove potion to the wrong person, messing up the love of four young people as aresult. One girl, beautiful and kind, is overjoyed for the unexpected arrivalof love while the other girl, as beautiful and kind, becomes very sad. Twopassionate young men decide to duel for the girl they both love, causing asuccession of misunderstandings and foolish scenes. At last, the King ofFairies appears and clears up the confusion, and everyone ends up with the onethey love.
