A Midsummer's Night Dream [by Anna Butler, 5 June 2013]

Entering Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, I was overcome with a feeling that I had reached my personal holy land. The reproduced Elizabethan theatre looked like it stood the test of time, nestled among the contemporary buildings of Bankside--a crowded walk along the Thames that is a blend between Brooklyn’s High Line and a beach boardwalk. That night, we were seeing A Midsummer’s Night Dream, an all-time favorite of mine. After waiting anxiously in the “queue,” the doors opened. While others stood still to soak in the sight, we rushed to stand against the stage, a prime spot for us groundlings. 

In Shakespeare’s day, this theater-going experience was commonplace, but for our group, it was once-in-a-lifetime. A band of musicians walked out onto the stage, playing Elizabethan instruments in traditional garb and transporting us to another world. For a quick synopsis: the play follows four young Athenians that are in a love rectangle of sorts: Lysander loves Hermia, she returns his affections, Demetrius pursues Hermia as well with her father’s permissions, and Helena hopelessly pines after Demetrius. In the realm of Theseus and Hippolyta, the courtly laws of love reign, as Hermia is forbidden to wed Lysander--but, in the enchanted wood, the whims of the fairy king and queen overrule the civilized restrictions. Set into motion by the mischievous Puck, the young lovers are put through humorous obstacles, and eventually, all ends happily with marriage. 

It was spectacular to see the lines I had read so many times on paper come to life. To my surprise, the “mechanicals” were my favorite part of the play. Usually I overlook their side plot, but the actors were phenomenal. The combination of Shakespeare’s hilarious lines and their physical comedy made the play perfection.

 By Anna Butler, 5 June 2013