MIDSUMMERNIGHT'S

dream

A

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

ADAPTED & DIRECTED BY JEN WINEMAN

TOURING SCHOOLS SEPTEMBER 29 - NOVEMBER 25

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

2014 NEW STAGES TOUR PRODUCTION GUIDE

ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE PRESENTS AN FSU/ASOLO CONSERVATORY FOR ACTOR TRAINING PRODUCTION:

Education & Outreach DirectorKathryn MoroneyEducation & Outreach SpecialistTiffany FordEducation & Outreach ApprenticeBrittney Biddle

Overview ............................................................................ 2

Why do we keep going into the woods?..............................3

Modernizing Shakespeare ..................................................4

Modernizing this production ...............................................5

Characters: Welcome to Athens Academy .......................6-7

After the show ....................................................................8

Upcoming at Asolo Rep .......................................................8

The New Stages Tour brings a Shakespeare performance directly to your school. You will be seeing a 45-minute adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by actors in the Florida State University MFA Conservatory Acting Program. It is their 3rd and final year in this professional training program, housed at Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, FL.

Every performance is followed by a question and answer session with the cast. We encourage you to think about what you might like to ask the actors, including questions about the play, how they interpret their characters, or about their experience rehearsing and performing Shakespeare’s work. Teachers are invited to join us for our special Educators Open House and preview performance on Wednesday October 1 from 5-7pm. RSVP by emailing education@asolo.org, and watch to receive confirmation from a member of our staff.

ASOLO REP LEADERSHIP

ASOLO REP EDUCATION & OUTREACH STAFF

MIDSUMMERCREATIVE TEAM

Producing Artistic DirectorMichael EdwardsManaging DirectorLinda DiGabrieleFSU/Asolo Conservatory Director &Associate Artistic Director of Asolo RepGreg Leaming

Asolo Rep Theatre GuildCharles and Marjorie BarancikDavid and Betty-Jean BavarCordelia Lee Beattie FoundationMandell and Madeleine Berman FoundationHarold C. and Jacqueline F. Bladel FoundationCarole Crosby and Larry WicklessLinnie E. Dalbeck Memorial Foundation TrustSusan DweckAndrew R. Ferrell FoundationBill and Christine IsaacWilliam LawsonPlantation Community FoundationKim and Mark Standish

DirectorJen WinemanResident DramaturgLauryn E. SassoCostume DesignElizabeth Barrett GrothSound DesignMatthew ParkerProps MasterMarlenn WhitneyVoice & Dialect CoachPatricia DeloreyStage ManagerBecki Zaritsky

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW

EXTRA RESOURCESWhen you see this logo, additional information is available online at asolorep.org/education/resources.

THE 2013 NEW STAGES

CAST ANSWERS STUDENT

QUESTIONS FOLLOWING A

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

MAJOR SUPPORT FROM

• Thinkofastorywithfairiesorothermagicalcreaturesasinfluentialcharacters.Howwouldyoudescribethosecreatures?Whatistheirinfluenceonthehumansaroundthem?

• Canyoucompareexamplesfromdifferenttimeperiodsorcultures?Whatdotheyhaveincommon?Dothedifferencessuggesthowthemagicalcreaturereflectsitstimeandplace?

• Describeideasyouconnectwith“TheWoods,”includingsensoryandemotionaladjectives.Dothesamefor“TheCity.”

• GoingFurther:Findawrittenpassage,poem,photo,artwork,orpieceofmusicthatexpressesyourimpressionofoneorbothplaces.

• WhydoyouthinkShakespearechosetosendhischaractersoutofthecityandintotheforest?

• Whatotherplays,books,orfilmshaveasimilarmotif,usingatripintothewoodsornaturalworldasanimportantpartofthestory?

• Whendoyoufeellikea“spiritofanothersort?”Whatwouldyour“fairylurkinginside”looklike?Howwoulditbehave?Howisitdifferentfromhowyouusuallyappearinyourlife?

• GoingFurther:Createanartworkorpoemdescribingyourfairy.

WHY DO WE KEEP GOING TO THE WOODS? 3

COMPARE CREATERELATE

A Midsummer Night’s Dream isone of William Shakespeare’s mostbelovedandwidelyproducedplays.Itisacomedythatexposestruthsaboutlove, self-expression, and societywhichenjoysevenmorepopularitynowthanwhenitwasfirstproducedin1596England.

“The irony, of course, is that A Midsummer Night’s Dream was notpopular in itsday.Theplaywasrarelyperformed until 1840, ushering in aragefor fairies,goblins,sprites,pixiesandelvesinthe19thcentury.”–CriticRandyGener

The plot portrays three parallel storylineswithcharacterswhoventure intothewoodstofollowtheirpassions:1. Young lovers escaping adults andtheirlaws,

2. A group of common craftsmenattemptingtorehearseaplayfortheDukeofAthens

3.Fairieswhoinhabitthewoods,ruledbytheirownKingandQueen.

At night in the woods, the loversand the craftsmen have separate,dreamlike experiences that causethemtoquestionthemselvesandtheirpassions. They return to society, the

City of Athens, a little different thanwhentheyleft.

Esteemed director Anne Bogartdescribedherownpersonal responsetoMidsummer:“Theplayremindsusthattheworldweinhabit is far richer,moremultifacetedand more mysterious than therepetitions of our day-to-day liveswouldleadustoassume.Weneedtobelieveinfairiesandcometoknowthateachofushasafairylurking inside.”

“BUT WE ARE SPIRITS OF ANOTHER SORT.” – OBERON, KING OF THE FAIRIES

Full article available online.

Beyondmodernsettings,insomeartists’handsShakespeare’splotsprovidethesourceforcompletelynewworks,likethemusical-turned-filmWest Side Story(re-envisioningofRomeo and Juliet),andthefilm-turned-musical,The Lion King (re-envisioningofHamlet).SeemoreexamplesoffilmmodernizationsofShakespeare’splaysinanarticlefromThe Guardian.

• Whichsideareyouon?WouldyouprefertoseeamodernizedortraditionalproductionofShakespeare?Why?

• PeterBrookisanacclaimeddirectorofShakespeare,andhistwoquotesweretakenfromthesameinterviewabout hisrecentproductionofHamlet.WhywouldadirectorchoosetomodernizeShakespearewhenhebelievesthatmostmodernizationsare“cliché?”

• Haveyouseenanexampleofanolderstoryadaptedformoderntimesonstageorfilm?Whatolderstorywouldbeinterestingtoseeadaptedtoanewsetting?

MODERNIZING SHAKESPEARE 4

DIDYOUKNOW?

ANALYZE

Today, Shakespeare’s plays are often adapted and produced with atwist.Thedirectorchoosesadifferentstyle,time,and/orsettingthanisdepictedintheoriginalscript.Thiscanrangefromacontemporaryurbanneighborhood, to aWWII battlefield, to aminimalist style void of timeandplace.Despitethemodernelements, theoriginal language isoftenmaintainedorkeptmostlyintactwithsomecuts,likeinBazLuhrmann’spop-stylefilmofRomeo + JulietorAnneBogart’sDustBowlerastageadaptationofA Midsummer Night’s Dream.

PURISTSSAY...“ThefirstproductionofHamletinmoderndresshappened50yearsago inEngland.Everyonewasamazed.But todaywhenonedoesexternal modernizing – fascist uniforms in the Roman plays, orplayingShakespeare in jeansandbringingmotorbikesonstage–thisamountstoanewcliché.”–Director,PeterBrook.

Shakespearewrote for a bare stage.... The audience should focuspurely on the plays themselves. There is a  particular power andmajestytohislanguage.Adaptationsthreatento obscurehisrhetoricalbeauty and foreground costumes, settings and  starlets instead.TakeBazLuhrmann’sRomeo + Juliet,where linesare shoutedandscreamedinfrontofoverwhelminglykaleidoscopic backgrounds,tothe extent that it is a farce to brand themovie a  ‘Shakespearean’adaptationatall....Lord of the Ringswouldn’tbethesameifitwasadaptedintoaNewYorkmobthriller.SowhydodirectorsthinkthattheycantransplantShakespeareontothemostridiculouscontextssuccessfully? It’s often an attention-grabbing stunt.” – JournalistLaurenceTennant.

MODERNIZERSSAY... “Wewantedittofeelurgentandreal,populatedbycharacterswecouldconnectwithandunderstand....Wesetouttomakethecharactersfeelhumanbecause theyareclearlyembodiedby thinking, feelingpeople,ratherthanbeingtheverbalabstractionstheycansometimesturnintointheschoolroom.”–Writer,A.J.Hartleyco-wroteMacbeth,A Novel

“My goal is to try to penetrate what is behind the text, what theauthorwastruly tryingtosay...ModernizingHamlet isnotbringingingimmicks;itisdiggingdeeplyintothetexttofindthelevelwhereonetouchesthefibersthathavebeenburiedthroughtheyears,andhaveledpeopletothinkthatthetextissacrosanct.Itmeansmakingsomething from the past live in the present – representing. And representing demandsdifferentthings indifferentplays.”–DirectorPeterBrook

Full articles available online.

LAURENCE TENNANT JOKES, “HAWAIIAN SHIRTS WERE ALL THE RAGE IN THE RENAISSANCE.”

SinceDirectorshavetakensuchradicallibertieswithShakespeare’sworks,therearemanyperspectivesonmodernizingShakespeare.

EGEUSFull of vexation I come, with complaintAgainst my child, my daughter Hermia.Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord,This man has my consent to marry her.Stand forth, Lysander: and my gracious duke,This man hath bewitch’d the bosom of my child;Be it so she; will not here before your graceConsent to marry with Demetrius,I beg the ancient privilege,As she is mine, I may dispose of her.THESEUSWhat say you, Hermia?Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.HERMIASo is Lysander.THESEUSIn himself he is;But in this kind, wanting your father’s voice,The other must be held the worthier.HERMIAI would my father look’d but with my eyes.THESEUSRather your eyes must with his judgment look.HERMIAI do entreat your grace to pardon me.But I beseech your grace that I may knowThe worst that may befall me in this case,If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

A Director’s vision often comes from a message ortheme in the script that he/she believes is importantfortheaudiencetosee,hear,andexplore.AsoloRep’sDirectorJenWinemandescribeshervision: 

InterprettheaboveexcerptfromMidsummer.Iftimeallows,thesecanbeperformedfortheclass.• Rewriteeachcharacter’slinesinmodernlanguage.• Whatishappeningtoeachcharacterandhowdoesheorshefeelaboutit?Howcanyoutell?

• Haveyouhadasimilarconversation?• WhodoesEgeusrepresenttoyou,inyourworld?• WhodoesTheseusrepresent?• Wherewouldthisconversationtakeplacein2014?• Pickasongthatyouwouldplayinconnectionwithyourversionofthisscene.

MODERNIZING THIS PRODUCTION 5

ANALYZE + CREATE

“I HAVE HAD A RARE VISION. I HAVE HAD A DREAM, PAST THE WIT OF MAN TO SAY WHAT DREAM IT WAS.” - BOTTOM, THE MECHANICALS’ LEADING PLAYER

“Inhisbook, The Power of Myth, JosephCampbellwrote,‘Shakespearesaidthatartisamirrorhelduptonature.Andthat’swhatitis.Thenatureisyournature, and all of thesewonderful poetic imagesofmythologyarereferringtosomethinginyou.’...While Midsummer  deals heavily with magic, myhopeisthatstudentswillbeabletoconnectwiththe very human experiences the characters aredealingwith:unrequitedlove,parentaldisapproval,adesiretorebel,andaneedforself-expression.”

Winemanwantstheseconnectionstoberecognizableforallthestudentswhoseetheplay.

Thesecharacters,theirworlds,andtheirroleswithinthestoryarefurtherexploredonthefollowingpages.

“It made sense to focus the storytelling on theyounglovers.ThecityofAthensbecomesAthensAcademy, a prestigious private school whereHelena, Hermia, Demetrius, and Lysander allattend.HippolytaandTheseusrule theschoolasdeanandprincipal,whilethefairiesarerepresentedby rebellious teenswhowould ratherhangout inthewoodsneartheacademythangotoclass.OurMechanicals come from the custodial staff, thegroundskeepers,thelunchroomstaff.”

6

Directorsoftenuseimagestocommunicatetheirvisionwiththecreativeteamandactors.Designersarenotusuallyaskedtoreplicatewhattheyseeintheimages,butsimplytousethemasinspiration.Thephotosincludedonthesepagesinspiredourdirector,JenWineman.Forexample,thecostumedesignermightbegiventhephotoofthemanwithhorns(page7)andaskWineman;“Isittheideaofthehornsspecifically,theanimalquality,orthemixofhardandsoftnaturalmaterialthatinterestsyouforthischaracter?”Asyouwatchtheplay,seeifyoucaninferWineman’sanswer.

DID YOU KNOW?

ANALYZE

• Theseus,thePrincipal,andHippolyta,theDean,areengaged.• Egeus,ateacheratAthensAcademy,isfrustratedwithhisdaughter,Hermia.

EgeusdisapprovesofHermia’sboyfriend,Lysander,andinsteadwantshertodateDemetrius.

• EgeusseekshelpfromTheseustoputHermiainline.

CHARACTERS: WELCOME TO ATHENS ACADEMY!

• Hermia&LysanderplantofleetoLysander’sAunt’shousetoescapeTheseusandEgeuswhothreatentheirrelationship.

• Helenaisstillinlovewithherex,Demetrius,whoisnowinlovewithHermia.

• HelenadecidestotellDemetriusthatHermia&Lysanderarefleeingintothewoods.

ACCORDINGTOHELENA’SMONOLOGUE:• WhydidDemetrius leave her?Whydoes shedecide to tellDemetrius thatHermia isfleeing to thewoods?What is thebenefit?Whatisthecost?

• DoyouthinkHelenaisactingreasonably?IfyouwereHelena,whatwouldyoudoaboutyourfeelingsforDemetrius?IfyouwereHelena’sclose friend,whatadvicewouldyougiveheraboutherrelationshipwithDemetrius?

• JenWinemanproposes,“Helenamightbealittleemonow.”Whatdoyouthinkshemeansbythat?

In Act I, Scene 1, Helena says:How happy some o’er other some can be!Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so;He will not know what all but he do know:Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;And therefore is wing’d Cupid painted blind:For ere Demetrius look’d on Hermia’s eyne,He hail’d down oaths that he was only mine;And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt.I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight:Then to the wood will he to-morrow nightPursue her; and for this intelligenceIf I have thanks, it is a dear expense:But herein mean I to enrich my pain,To have his sight thither and back again.

MEET THE ADMINISTRATION & FACULTY...

MEET THE STUDENTS & LOVERS...

7

INTERPRET

CHARACTERS: WELCOME TO ATHENS ACADEMY!

• The“RudeMechanicals”arethebluecollarstaff,suchasgroundskeepers,cafeteriacrew,andcustodiansatAthensAcademy.

• Quince,Snout,Starveling,Flute,Snug,andBottomplantoperformaplaycalledPyramus & ThisbeforTheseus&Hippolyta’swedding.

• Excitedtobecreativeandexpressthemselves,theyventureintothewoodsbehindtheschooltorehearse“obscenelyandcourageously.”

• Bottomis,byfar,themostover-confidentactorinthegroupandtendstomakeafoolofhimself.

ReadthisexcerptfromBottomaloudtoapartner,thenhaveyourpartnerreadtheexcerptfromHelenatoyou(page6).Whatsoundsdifferent?Note:AlloftheMechanicalsspeakinprose,insteadofpoetry.Proseisthemostordinaryformofwrittenorspokenlanguage,withoutmetricalstructure.Therestofthecharactersintheplayspeakmeteredrhythmandsometimesinrhymingcouplets.GoingFurther:ComparethetwoexamplesoftheverseonthesepagesfromHelenaandPuck.Howaretheysimilar?Howdifferent?Whatdoyouhearwhentheyarespokenaloud?WhydoyouthinkShakespearewrotethisway?

In Act V, Scene 1, Puck says:Now it is the time of night That the graves all gaping wide, Every one lets forth his sprite, In the church-way paths to glide: And we fairies, that do run By the triple Hecate’s team, From the presence of the sun, Following darkness like a dream, Now are frolic: not a mouse Shall disturb this hallow’d house. I am sent with broom before,To sweep the dust behind the door.

• Shakespeareusesthemotifofdarknessversuslightthroughoutthisplay.Whatdoyouthinkheistryingtosayabouttheseseeminglyopposingforces?

• Whatroledodreamsplayinourlives?Doyouthinkmoretruthisuncoveredinthedarknessandillusionsofdreams?Doyouthinkdreamsarejustadistractionthatshouldbeswept“behindthedoor,”asPuckrefers?MEET THE

SCHOOL STAFF...

MEET THE OUTSIDERS...

• SomestudentshavedroppedoutofAthensAcademy,ratherthantolerateastrict,rule-riddenenvironment.Theyhangoutinthewoodswheretheyfeelmorecomfortablebeingthemselves.

• Oberon&Titaniaaretheleaders.Theyareinlove,buttheyalsohavepassionatefights.

• TheOutsiders,whocallthemselves“fairies,”areveryintouchwithnature,andpracticemagicalpowers.OberonasksPuck,hisfaithfulfriend,tousemagictohelptheLoversfixtheirrelationshipturmoil.

In Act IV, Scene 1, Bottom says:The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man’s hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report, what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream: it shall be called Bottom’s Dream, because it hath no bottom...COMPARE

Winemansays,“Midsummerisfirstandforemostacomedy.Andpartofwhywelaughisbecausethesecharactersarefamiliar,especiallyforyoungaudiences.”Ifyouwereacharacterinthisplay,whowouldyoube?AreyouoneoftheLoverswholivesintheworldofdaylightandorder,butfollowslovetothewoods?AreyouaMechanicalwithahiddentalent?AreyouaFairywhothrivesinyourownenvironment?See how the actors answer this question by following the cast.

RELATE

AsoloRepEdu

@MidsummerAsolo

Check online for other resources, including photo and video updates starting in September.

Asolorep.org/Education/Resources

@MidsummerAsolo

Facebook.com/AsoloRepEdu

After the Show:

Send us your review of the performance!Post your thoughts at facebook.com/AsoloRepEdu, or email us at education@asolo.org.Not sure how to start? We’d love to hear your perspective on…

• How would you describe this performance to someone who hasn’t seen it?

• Which characters reminded you of people you know in real life? Why?

• What surprised you?

• What type of theatre would you like to see from Asolo Rep next? What would it have in common with this performance? What would be different?

Asolo Rep’s 2014-15 Student Matinee Season

South Pacific, November 25 at 10:30am

As You Like It, January 14 wwat 10:30am

For more information, contact us at:education@asolo.org

941-351-9010 ext 3307Asolorep.org/education/school _programs

The Matchmaker, February 3 & 10 at 10:30am

Both Your Houses, February 24 at 10:30am