In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, love weaves a tangled web in an iconic fairy tale. Hermia and her beloved Lysander flee into the forest to avoid Hermia’s arranged marriage to Demetrius. They’re pursued by Demetrius himself, along with Helena, who is, in turn, in love with Demetrius. In that same forest, Oberon and Titania – king and queen of the fairies – are having a quarrel of their own. And when Oberon enlists his accomplice Puck to throw some magic into the mix, everyone – including a hilarious group of “rude mechanicals” led by Nick Bottom – gets caught up in the
spell.
Performances will take place in Auditorium 2 at 7 PM on April 24th and 25th as well as May 1st and 2nd. There will also be afternoon showings on April 25th and May 2nd at 1 pm.
Tickets can be purchased at vanco events.
Tickets are $10 for students and staff, $15 for adults, and 12$ for seniors.
First performed in 1594, this classic Shakespearean comedy is now being adapted for a high school audience. Assistant Director Kaylee Nearson explained how the creative team “had to go in a different route with our directing” and lean into the “physical comedy” in hopes regardless of whether the audience understands every word of the dialogue they can still laugh because of what the characters are doing. “You can’t help but laugh at that, even if the wording is eloquent. A play can be—even a Shakespeare one where you might not understand every word—so funny just because of the actors and what they do.”
For Nearson, the highlight of the production is the “Pyramus and Thisbe” scene. A comedic play-within-a-play performed by a group of “ill-prepared” characters known as the Mechanicals. She notes that the contrast between the serious “straight” characters and the silly routines of the Mechanicals makes it a scene she laughs at every time
Ultimately, Nearson views the show as a “classic you have to see at least once in your life,” much like plays such as Romeo and Juliet. She encourages the student body to attend not just for the laughs, but to support the “monumental effort” their peers have poured into the production.
Assistant directing is one of the many opportunities for students to get more involved with the performing arts through the Wayzata Theatre Department. In Kaylee’s case, she worked alongside industry professional and University of Minnesota teacher Steve Cardamone. Throughout the process she ran side rehearsals – running lines, blocking, and filling in the gaps.
