A Note from Rainier and Julia:
It is safe to say A Midsummer Night’s Dream is our favorite Shakespeare play. Combined, this is our 11th time working on it (including the Bay School’s 2014 production). And at home, characters made appearances in childhood pretend games, the 1999 film is a family-movie-night staple, lines are frequently quoted and applied to mundane activities--we were raised on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
That’s because, in our humble opinion, this is Shakespeare’s best play!! While the play begins with a potential for tragedy--worlds collide, characters are flung out of their comfort zones, problems seem impossible to fix...everyone comes out the other side, mostly unscathed, and perhaps a little braver. The challenges we see in the play (a love triangle made worse by fairy interference, amateur actors with much enthusiasm and little talent, a runaway daughter and a demanding husband) may seem exaggerated, unrealistic. But the heightened language and drama allows us to confront our own challenges in an accessible way, and to trust that we too will emerge from the forest; mostly unscathed, perhaps a little braver.
In returning to Midsummer this year, the theme that stood out to us the most is connection. And as we entered into the second Year of Missed Connections, the relationships in the play became even more important. We experienced plenty of missed connections rehearsals--wifi dropping out in the middle of a scene, lags causing interruptions, making eye contact with a ring light instead of a scene partner. But we also got to spend 6 hours a week together, exploring what connection means. And as we worked through the missed connections, we were able to deepen our relationships to each other and to the characters. Focusing on connection for the duration of this project, even while distanced, was really meaningful to both of us, and we are so excited to share it with you.
“To show our simple skill, that is the true beginning of our end.”
We hope you enjoy!!
Julia Pearl-Styles ‘21 (Assistant Director)
Rainier Pearl-Styles ‘15 (Director)