A Midsummer Night's Dream
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare
Drama
James Mustich
Aug 7, 2018
Frequently turning on disguise and mistaken identity, and often demanding an extra-willing suspension of disbelief, Shakespeare’s comedies are by and large better suited to stage than page. The actors’ presences make the antics easier to follow, and good timing points up the humor of the rapid-fire wordplay, which may seem arcane in its intricate foolishness but bears a striking resemblance to the familiar pleasures of Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on first?” routine, or some of the pun-driven volleys of the Marx Brothers’ repartee. Yet one comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is so replete with intoxicating poetry that no reader should miss it. Transformations wrought by longing and magic under the influence of the midsummer moon are emblems of the capricious emotions that inspirit our lives and that, for all their lack of substance, embolden our actions and form our destinies, sometimes even conjuring from mere fancy “something of great constancy.” A Midsummer Night’s Dream may well be the happiest tribute in all literature to the way love’s fleeting promise not only haunts our dreams, but lingers to inhabit our hearts in the light of common day.
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James Biskey
Mar 29, 2019
Definitely see this play before you die! A feel-good, trippy, and evocative comedy.
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Jane Huttner
Dec 4, 2019
I read A Midsummer Night's Dream while I listened to the Arkangel recording of it. I really enjoyed how the full cast dramatization brought the play to life. I liked how Titania and Oberon had a Jamaican accent to differentiate the fairies from the humans. I really enjoyed this feel-good, evocative comedy. The clever mix-ups with the lovers and the resulting outrage of Helena and Hermia show that Shakespeare had a great understanding of human emotions. Especially how love can disturb our dreams but also linger in our hearts whether we receive love or get hurt by the loss of love.
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Debra Hanff
May 23, 2020
Literary and theatrical touchstone, so you can't miss it.
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Eli
Jan 29
Must read!
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