Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy that was written by William Shakespeare in 1595. The play has several subplots that revolve around marriage, relationships, conflict, and mistaken identity. The play is a pretty perfect balance of spectacle and poetry, with a healthy dose of comedy and romance thrown in for good measure. The spectacle comes into play with ample opportunity for magical mischief and glorious costuming. The impact of this play has even found its way to the stars - Three of the moons from the planet Uranus are named after characters from the play - orbiting Uranus are moons called: Puck, Oberon and Titania.

In the original Shakespearian version the events do not actually take place over the course of a single night - but rather through four or five. The play takes place in separate locations, the city of Athens, in an area of the forest well known to the young Athenians, as well as in the magical realm of the fairies that humans just cannot see. The true magic and mischief of the Fairy world in the story has captured the hearts and minds of generations of theatre fans everywhere. We hope you enjoy our rendition of the show!

The students in this show have really stepped up to take on the challenge of performing a Three Act play - many taking on leadership roles in their small group to run rehearsal sections, providing feedback for each other, choreographing some dance moves, and they took ownership of raiding the costume closet to find costumes to match the theme of their group. They have been a joy to direct as they want to produce a high quality show for their audiences and are dedicated to their craft of acting, despite starting our rehearsals online. The mix of MS and HS students had some challenges with rehearsal time frames, but with kids interested in having a performance happen - you find ways to make it work.

I have been very impressed with the cast in the show and how they worked as a cohesive team to realise their characters. The Grade 6 students and some of the fairies choreographed their own dance for the entrance in Act 2. The lighting design has been completed coordinated by Juliana Diab with guidance on specific looks or moods - but otherwise is an original creation for the show. Juliana has programmed the board, and practiced running the show. We hope you appreciate her effort in bringing this show to life. The music selections have been coordinated by Caoimhe Cronin, again with guidance on specific moods or themes - but otherwise has been her creative ideas of which pieces of Mendelssohn's music fit the right mood in the show. You may not realize it, but throughout the entire show, at a very low volume - you will hear the music to help create that emotional impact. Peter Dicce stepped into the role of Stage Manager/ Assistant to the Director for the show - and has helped with everything from fixing some broken straps/flowers/props/costumes to ordering a ton of food for cast rehearsals - to being the all around much needed helper. It has been a wonderful honour to work with all of these dedicated individuals in the show. They have shown tremendous growth and I am proud of their work and dedication to produce a quality show.

• Switch off mobile phones

• Take no photos or videos of the performance, as your cameras will interfere with the professional photos and video

• Try to avoid entering and exiting the theatre during the performance

• Keep aisles clear of personal items

• No food, drinks or gum

• No talking during the performance - so we can hear all the dialogue from the stage!

• Do not go on the stage at any time.