If there’s any Shakespeare show that lends itself to a million different variations, and lends itself well, it’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I’m definitely not saying this is a bad thing, because it definitely is not, but it’s a very unique characteristic, especially when looking at other shows in Elizabethan English. But whether you’re watching an adaptation in Elizabethan English, modern English, or even sung, you know exactly what’s going on. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is easily captured in any form, and in general, is a lot of fun to play around with. That’s why, and how, we get some really cool adaptations of this famous play.
When I first read about Hedgerow Theatre’s adaptation, working with Mauckingbird Theatre Company, I was really excited. From the start, it sounded like they were bringing a centuries old play into the modern world. Honestly, I think we need this, and we really need it a lot more. While a lot of the theatre world is familiar with Shakespeare’s works and can usually understand what they’re reading and saying, it’s not always something that the rest of the world can. So bringing it into the modern age is opening everything for a bigger audience. Hedgerow seemed to be doing this, and it’s absolutely fantastic.
And Hedgerow didn’t just bring A Midsummer Night’s Dream into the modern world. They really pushed the boundaries. We’re not just looking at the story brought forward, we’re looking at changing everything on the sexuality and gender spectrums. They made characters queer, played around with gender, and did so with confidence. I absolutely did not question any use of pronoun or couple they made queer. I really loved that, because there’s definitely a way not to do that. It’s a hard thing to do, especially for a play as well known and loved the way A Midsummer Night’s Dream is.
As a young queer, gender non-conforming person, who is a huge Shakespeare lover, this was an absolute delight for me. If Shakespeare was writing in modern times, I’m sure he’d be doing some of this anyway, but of course, we’ll never know for sure on that one. So I think the next best thing is theatres brave enough to do adaptations in this way. Hedgerow’s interpretation reassigned loves, reassigned pronouns. They brought in modern tech, like phones and tablets. And you know what? It worked out really nicely. With everything else they presented to us, it fit just nicely.
Everything Hedgerow did that turned A Midsummer Night’s Dream upside down in those respects wasn’t the only wonderful thing about the show. With a very large cast, we really were watching an ensemble piece. This is another thing that’s not always easy to nail. You have to make sure every piece of the ensemble fits together. From the couples that interact completely to the fairy attendants to Titania. And of course, the strange pieces of the puzzle like Puck. I was so impressed with the ensemble I watched. They knew exactly how to work with each other in all ways, play off each other, and support each other through the whole show.
There are many different worlds in A Midsummer Night’s Dream to begin with. It’s something really beautiful about the play. There are so many subplots, but they’re all intertwined. We see the lives of the Athenians (especially the lovers), the players, and the fairy folk. I think one of the reasons we see so many adaptations of the play is because we all know the story to begin with. Hedgerow brought this play to us in an easy to swallow way. They cut the time down to an hour and a half, and though they used Shakespeare’s language, I’m sure the entire audience knew what was going on. We can also thank the actors for that. With minimal sets and costumes, the actors had to carry most of the show on their own. And they did a mind blowing job.
This production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream hit all the points. It was easy to understand, fun to watch, and didn’t draw things out unnecessarily (anyone who has seen a Shakespeare show can attest to the fact that that happens sometimes). The actors worked so well together. I loved all of it. The way the lovers interacted normally and when they’ve been enchanted. The hilarity of the players, especially with their tech. The way the fairy folk served Titania and Oberon. Puck, who I think is pretty much the keystone character. The costumes and set were basic, but they served their purpose well. The casting was phenomenal. I believed each and every piece of the puzzle.
As always, I have to admit that this sort of thing is hard to do. Some people aren’t going to want to see this sort of thing. But I think Hedgerow doing A Midsummer Night’s Dream like this is ground breaking, especially for our area. It’s truly beautiful, though…and I think this sort of thing would have been so inspiring to a younger Zoe. Getting to see queer characters and gender non-conforming characters speaks to so many people. I consider myself extremely lucky to have seen this performance.
Maybe this is the start of something new we can see with Shakespeare. I would love to see more shows presented in a way like this. But either way, we got Hedgerow’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and we’re lucky that it was on stage. Hedgerow and Mauckingbird did something super cool, something we really needed. I think I love A Midsummer Night’s Dream more than I did before. They created something new and something outside of the box. I think a lot of people needed to see it, including myself.
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