Midsummer nights dream
Dates of performance
11 January - 23 Febuary 2002
Overview
What’s going down?
There is a totally un-hip and un-cool ancient law in the city of Athens that states that the daughter, upon refusing to marry the man her father has chosen to be her husband, may be put to death by her father; but as fathers do not often desire the death of their daughters, even though they do happen to prove a little refractory at times, this law is seldom or never put into practice, though perhaps the young ladies of the city are not infrequently threatened by their folks with the terrors of this law.
The Marriage of the decade
Theseus (also known as the Duke within the industry) will soon marry Hippolyta, (head of the Amazon Empire – Amazon Records and Amazon Clothing). While the union of these two industry giants will certainly be of huge financial significance, one can’t help but wonder how much love there actually is in this match.
The engagement party; on Theseus awesome private country estate, is full swing and things grind to a bit of an embarrassing halt, as Egeus of Theseus the privilege of ancient law upon his daughter, Hermia. She refuses to marry Demetrius, as her father; Egeus commands. Instead she loves Lysander and refuses to bend to her father’s will. Theseus gives Hermia four days to reconsider her situation. Hermia and Lysander decide to meet I the woods and elope. They tell Helena (who totally digs Demetrius big time) what they are about. Knowing that Demetrius loves Hermia, Helena tells him of the plan hoping that he will therefore be better disposed towards her and think of her as really cool.
Meanwhile, Bottom, Quince, Snug, Snout, Starveling and Flute – a group of far out hippies are also planning to enter the wood to rehearse a rather cool play, which they intend to perform for Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding festival and hopefully earn some extra bread.
In the same wood Oberon and Titania, the King and Queen of the Fairy World, have had a major fall out. The cause of the strife I the fairy world and the chaotic seasons on earth is Titania’s refusal to give Oberon a little Changeling Boy hat she has stolen from the mortal world. Oberon plans to trick Titania into giving up the Changeling Boy; as she sleeps; he will squeeze the juice of a special flower into her eyes so that when she awakes, she will love and madly dote on the first creature she sees and therefore have no interest in the Changeling Boy. He sends his fairy henchman, Puck, to find the flower.
Demetrius enters the forest in search of Hermia but he has Helena in tow and is trying to shake her off. Oberon overhears their bickering and when Puck returns with the flower, he tells him to squeeze some of the juice into Demetrius’ eyes, so that he will return Helena’s love.
Oberon finds the sleeping Titania and squeezes the juice into her eyes. But Puck makes a mistake; and squeezes the juice into Lysander’s eyes.
A little later Puck discovers the hippies who have begun rehearsing. As a joke, he changes Bottom’s head into the head of an ass. Seeing this bizarre creature, the other hippies scatter in panic. Bottom is left alone. His singing awakes Titania, who immediately falls in love with him.
Now there is great confusion and quarrelling amongst the lovers; Demetrius and Lysander prepare to fight over Helena, but Puck conjures up a fog to separate them and lead them to their proper loves. Lost and exhausted, they fall asleep in the right couple. Puck then makes amends.
Oberon’s plan works and Titania relinquishes the Changeling Boy in preference for her new love and obsession, the asinine Bottom. Oberon releases Titania from his spell, and Puck removes the ass’s head from Bottom.
It is early morning. Theseus, Hippolyta and Egeus are out hunting in the forest. The sleeping lovers are discovered and woken. The confusions of the night are resolved and Theseus decides to make it a triple wedding festival. The happy couples return for their wedding celebrations.
At the wedding festival, the Hippies get to perform their play, ‘The most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Payramus and Thisbe’, to the amusement of their guests. Finally, they all retire to their nuptial beds and our tale ends as Puck enters to bless the celebration.
Cast List
| THESEUS / OBERON | Duke of Athens / King of the fairies | WARRICK GRIER |
| HIPPOLYTA / TITANIA | Betrothed to Lysander /Queen of the fairies | ANTHEA THOMPSON |
| EGEUS / PHILOSTRATE | Father to Hermia /Master of the revels to Theseus | DAVID MULLER |
| LYSANDER | In love with Hermia | STEVE WAITE |
| DEMETRIUS | In love with Hermia | MARK ELDEKIN |
| HERMIA | Daughter of Egeus | VICTORAI MARITZ |
| HELENA | In love with Demetrius | STACEY SACKS |
| PUCK | Known also as Robin Goodfellow | ALEXANDER DUNCAN |
| BOTTOM | A weaver | ROB VAN VUUREN |
| QUINCE | A carpenter | CHRISTINE WEIR |
| STARVELING | A tailor | FANIE VAN DER WESTHUIZEN |
| SNUG | A joiner | FAHRUG VALLEY-OMAR |
| FLUTE | A bellows mendor | PEIRRE MALHERBE |
| SNOUT | A tinker | PETRUS DU PREEZ |
Creative List
| DIRECTOR | FREDABRAHAMSE |
| DESIGNS | MICHAEL MITCHEL |
| MUSIC | CHARL –JOHAN LINGENFELDER |
| LIGHTING | MALCOM HURELL |
| SOUND | DAVE CATHCART |
| POSTER & FLYER DESIGN | CANDICE BEZUIJEN |
| PROJECT MANAGER | BRIAN HEYDENRYCH |
| PUBLICITY & MARKETING | JUAN FERRERIA |
| PRODUCTION MANAGER | DERICK WILDEEMAN |
| STAGE MANAGER | DANIEL GALLOWAY |
| ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | LINDSEY MCEVOY |
| LIGHTING OPERATOR | BENEVER ARENDSE |
| SENIOR SOUND MANAGER | HERSCHEL SAMPSON |
| WIG & COSTUME CO-ORDINATOR | JEROME JONAS |
| FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER | DERICK DE KOCK |
