The Minnesota Shakespeare Company opens its 2011 season with A Midsummer Night's Dream at Gremlin Theater in St.Paul July 5 through July 10, 2011.
Gremlin Theater
2400 University Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55114-1706
July 5, 2011-
7:30 p.m. (PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN PREVIEW)
July 6-9th,
2011 7:30 p.m.
Directed by Mikel Clifford, A Midsummer Night's Dream is a typical Shakespearean comedy, opening with what looks like tragedy.
An Athenian, Hermia, rejects Demetrius, her mother's choice for a husband, and is told to accept him, enter a nunnery, or be put to death. So Hermia elopes into the forest outside Athens, accompanied by HER choice: Lysander. The couple is followed by Demetrius, the rejected suitor. Demetrius is followed by Helena, who loves HIM.
The woods are full of ancient mythic beings. Best-known of this group is Puck, a resident fairy whose mischievously earnest enchantments keep humans and spirits in an uproar. Although they embody Father & Mother Nature's powers, Oberon and Titania--the king and queen of the Fairies--have their own troubles. Added to the forest ensemble are a group of innocent workmen, who go there seeking a peaceful spot to rehearse a play they're working on.
Little do they know . . . .
Accompanied by a live band, magic spells, and mayhem, the play leaves us wondering--was it all a dream?