Midsummer Night’s Dream Synopsis

Notes from the Choreographer

This was the first of Shakespeare’s plays to fuse two totally disparate worlds that of fairies and mortals. The ballet takes place in the forest and features the fairies Titania, Oberon and Puck and their interaction with the mortals, Bottom and the lovers. To the Elizabethan audience, the title of the play would have suggested practices of midsummer night connected with merrymaking, various superstitions and folk customs, dances, pageants and revels. More than any other night in the year, midsummer suggested enchantment and witchcraft. To an Elizabethan audience, moreover the play’s title would have called to mind the so-called “midsummer madness” a state of mind marked by a heightened readiness to believe in the delusions of the imagination that were thought to befall the minds of men after days of great summer heat. Shakespeare’s play has many elements, comedy and confusion as well as romance and torment. His ability to bring to the stage the crude behavior of the rustics and place them side by side with the exquisite delicacy of the fairies is both a challenge and a delight to a choreographer.

I used Mendelssohn’s music, which was originally written for the play, as the primary music in the ballet. And I fleshed this out with music from a Rossini string quartet for the lovers’ confusion in the forest which is overlaid with a thunderstorm which reflects their stormy and constantly changing relationships. When Titania falls in love with Bottom the pas de deux is danced to a Grand Duo Concertant of two double bass by Bottesini. It seems the perfect music for the Ass and the fairy.

The set design for the ballet is new. Artist Satoko Motouji has created twelve paintings projected on the stage to reflect the ever-changing scenes within the ballet.

New costuming for the fairies and lovers has been created by me and Axel Dazee.

The Synopsis of a Midsummer Night’s Dream

The curtain rises on the fairy Puck in the forest. He and the fairies play. The mortal, Bottom, enters in search of his fellow actors to rehearse a play. He calls their names. The fairies tease him with echoes and Puck steals his scroll and moves his sack so that Bottom becomes afraid. He calls more loudly, and the fairies reply. Bottoms fears he is hearing things and hurriedly retreats to another part of the forest.

Oberon, king of the fairies greets Puck. Titania, queen of the fairies, joins them. Oberon wishes to have the changeling boy cared for by Titania. She refuses and takes the boy away leaving an angry Oberon to fret and fume. Oberon calls Puck to him. He has decided to teach Titania a lesson. He sends Puck to find a flower with magic powers so that he might cast a spell on Titania.

Two mortals appear. Demetrius is pursued by Helena who loves him. As Helena chases Demetrius into the depths of the forest, four rustics appear. They are Bottom’s play fellows who at last find Bottom and his scrolls.

Puck returns with two flowers which Oberon takes. He gives one to Puck and sends him into the forest in pursuit of the unhappy Helena and Demetrius. The other he keeps. Oberon watches Titania and her fairies dance. When Titania lies down to sleep the fairies leave. Oberon approaches and casts a spell on his love.

Two mortal lovers, Lysander and Hermia, have run away together. Hermia has been promised to Demetrius but loves Lysander. They lie down to rest. Puck enters and mistaking them for Helena and Demetrius lays a spell on Lysander. Demetrius appears with Helena in pursuit. He flees and Helena wakes Lysander who falls instantly in love with her. Helena can only think of Demetrius and Lysander chases after her. Hermia wakes up and finds herself alone.

The Rustics practice their play. Puck spies on them. He turns Bottom into a donkey. The rustics flee from him in terror. Bottom awakes Titania who falls in love with him. She introduces him to her fairies who after their initial shock begin to play with him. Oberon and Puck observe the fun and when lightning strikes with an approaching storm Bottom panics and gallops off into the forest followed by Titania.

Oberon and Puck observe Hermia quarreling with Demetrius in the forest. Hermia accuses Demetrius of harming Lysander, whom she cannot find. When Hermia leaves angrily Demetrius sits down to rest. Oberon and Puck fear they have confused matters and decide to lay a spell on Demetrius. Oberon sends Puck to find Helena that they might put these love matters right. Helena appears, pursued by an ardent Lysander. Demetrius awakes and falls in love with Helena. Both men now begin to woo Helena. Hermia finds them in the forest. Lysander rejects her and Hermia quarrels with Helena, who she believes has stolen her lover. The men decide to fight a duel with pistols for the right to marry Helena. Oberon observes all and when Puck returns, sends him in pursuit of the confused lovers to prevent the duel and correct the mismatched loves. Puck does this under cover of the night.

Oberon watches Titania and Bottom play in the woods. He begins to repent the spell he has cast on Titania for she has given Oberon the changeling boy. As they lay down to sleep Oberon calls Puck to him. Puck shows Oberon that he has set to right the lovers who now depart the woods happily reunited with their loved ones. Oberon is pleased and sends Puck to release Bottom from his spell. Oberon wakes Titania and they are reunited.

“On the ground sleep sound: I’ll apply to your eye, Gentle lover, remedy.

When thou wak’st, Thou tak’st True delight In the sight of thy former lady’s eye:

And the country proverb known, that every man should take his own,

In your waking shall be shown. Jack shall have his Jill; Nought shall go ill;

The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well.”