What happens in the forest stays in the forest
When phosphorescent beams of passion mingle with the dark mysteries of the Athenian Wood, the resulting alchemy dares those under its influence to take risks not ordinarily embraced. Young lovers, an honest tradesman with theatrical aspirations, and a fairy queen feverishly pursue each other through a love potion-fueled night. You’re invited to OSF newcomer Mark Rucker’s moonlit party—a dance-filled, joy-filled, youthful, funny take on midsummer magic.
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A Midsummer Night's Dream photo: John Tufts as Puck
Watch interviews with Mark Rucker:
First impressions of the play (1:37)
Traditional? Early thoughts on the setting (1:26)
Play Synopsis
In Athens, Duke Theseus and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, are looking forward to their wedding four days hence. Their anticipatory musings are interrupted by Egeus, an angry citizen. His daughter Hermia refused Demetrius, her father’s choice of husband for her, pleading her true love for Lysander, in every way as worthy a suitor. Now Egeus wants Theseus to uphold Athenian law, which would punish Hermia’s disobedience with death. Keenly aware that his bride-to-be is disturbed by the harsh sentence, Theseus softens its severity, allowing Hermia the choice of single life as a cloistered nun. She has until the day of Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding to decide.
In desperation, Hermia and Lysander decide to flee to the forest outside Athens that night, and they tell Hermia’s friend, Helena. Demetrius courted Helena before transferring his affections to Hermia and she still pines for him. Hoping to gain some favor with her former lover, Helena tells Demetrius what is going on. They follow their friends into the woods.
Things aren’t any better in the forest. Oberon, King of the Fairies, and Titania, his Queen, have been quarreling bitterly over the possession of a changeling boy, and their domestic strife is spilling over into the natural world. Rivers flood, crops rot in the field, and livestock are dying from a virulent disease. Oberon resolves to punish Titania for her failure to relinquish the changeling to him. He is her lord, after all. He sends his messenger, the mischievous Puck, to seek a magic flower, love-in-idleness. When its juice is applied to the eyelids of anyone sleeping, it causes the person to “madly dote” on the first creature seen upon waking. Oberon will administer the juice of the flower to Titania as she sleeps. Oberon has also overheard Demetrius’s rejection of Helena and orders Puck to dab some flower juice on his eyelids so that he will wake and return her love.
With night coming on, Hermia and Lysander find a wooded bank on which to rest. Hermia modestly insists that Lysander lie a respectable distance from her. Their sleeping arrangement fools Puck into thinking that Lysander is the disdainful Athenian youth who is supposed to receive the magic juice. He applies the flower juice to Lysander’s eyelids. When Helena finds him and wakes him, she is startled by his immediate and passionate protestations of love.
In another part of the forest, a group of local artisans have gathered to rehearse a play they hope to perform for the Duke during the wedding festivities. What they don’t know is that they are very close to Titania’s bower. Their homespun thespian attempt—and the desire of Nick Bottom, a weaver, to play every part—catch the attention of Puck, who is passing by. Puck can’t resist a good joke and outfits Bottom with a donkey’s head. His appearance so terrifies his companions that they flee. Bottom’s forlorn braying wakes Titania who sees and falls hopelessly in love with an ass.
Puck reports his progress to Oberon, who is pleased about Titania and Bottom, but very grumpy indeed when he finds out that Puck anointed Lysander and not Demetrius. Puck immediately sets about rectifying his mistake and applies the magic juice to Demetrius’s eyes. Demetrius wakes to see Helena, fleeing Lysander’s unwelcome attentions. Both men are now enthralled with Helena, who suspects she is the object of a cruel joke. She turns on Hermia, accusing her of being in league with the boys. Hermia, who is now the real object of scorn, lashes out at her erstwhile friend. Demetrius and Lysander decide to fight a duel.
The mortals’ confusion and unhappiness spark something akin to pity in Oberon. He commands Puck to sort things out, which Puck does by applying an antidote to Lysander’s eyes and leading the young men on a wild, moonlit chase, closely followed by Hermia and Helena. Oberon releases his Queen from the enchantment (but not before he secures possession of the changeling boy) and, when Puck is done with the lovers, orders him to restore Bottom to his human form.
Everything is now as it should be. Lysander has Hermia, Helena has Demetrius, Oberon has Titania and Bottom has a human head. In the morning, the young couples are awakened by the sound of hunting horns as Theseus and Hippolyta ride into the woods with a hunting party. They cannot explain to the Duke how their enmities have dissolved, ”by some power.” Theseus overrules Egeus’s suit.
At Theseus’s court, three weddings are celebrated. The highlight of the evening is “A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus and his love Thisby; very tragical mirth” as presented by Bottom and his fellow artisans. Although it is not the most polished production, it does while away the hours until bedtime. At midnight, the lovers go off to bed and the fairies come, “hand in hand, with fairy grace,” to sing and to spread blessings throughout the palace in honor of the newlyweds. -Beth Bardossi, Colleen Curran
A Midsummer Night's Dream photo: John Tufts as Puck.