The Barn Theatre,
25 Bluehouse Lane, Oxted, Surrey
RH8 0AA.

Tel: 01959 561811
Email: barntheatre
@btinternet.com

 


A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

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THE OXTED PLAYERS MAY 2012 PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR MARTIN PATRICK

Dates
A Midsummer Night's Dream will run from Wednesday 16th May 2012 - Saturday 19th May 2012
There will be two Audition Workshops: Sunday 30th October 2011 (10.00 am to 1.30 pm) and Sunday 6th November 2011 (10.00 am to 1.30 pm)
Floor rehearsals will commence on Monday 2nd April 2012

Rehearsals
Rehearsal nights are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting on Monday 2nd April 2012 at 7.45 pm (venue to be confirmed). Sunday rehearsals will start on Sunday 22nd April 2012 when we move into the Theatre. There will be a Pre-Dress Rehearsal on Sunday 13th May and the Dress Rehearsal will be on Monday 14th May 2012 and performances from Wednesday 16th - Saturday 19th May 2012. A detailed rehearsal schedule will be available after the auditions are completed. The Oxted Players Committee is currently considering whether perhaps to include a matinee on the Saturday.

Audition Workshops
I do not propose to have a 'play reading' as such but will have two audition workshops, both at Hurst Green Community Centre. The first audition workshop will be on Sunday 30th October 2011 from 10.00 am to 1.30 pm. I will be able to give you my vision of how I want to present the piece more fully and answer any questions. We can explore and discuss some of the text, the relationships, look at the audition pieces before we start the audition process. You will find the audition pieces with this pack; I do not expect you to learn the pieces but would expect you to have studied them. I am quite flexible at auditions as I always want to make sure everybody gives their best on these nerve-racking occasions. I have not stipulated ages as this tends to deter possible auditionees.

The second workshop at Hurst Green Community Centre will be on Sunday 6th November 2011 from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm where we can complete the auditions including any recalls from the Sunday 30th October. I am also looking for a number of Fairies, (nothing new there!) who will attend Oberon and Titania. They must be able to dance, sing, and some of them able to deliver lines. They would also double up as Attendants at the Court of Theseus, Duke of Athens. Ideally it would be nice to have a mix of male and female. Those who are interested should attend this workshop as Mistress of the Dance Andrea Green will also attend to demonstrate and set the dancing audition pieces. Andrea has also agreed to set the dance/movement numbers in the play.

Reading Copies
If you do not have a reading copy of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' please contact Pat Brown (pebrown007@btinternet.com) or 01342 893217. We will be using the Penguin version of the play.

Characters

THE COURT OF THE DUKE OF ATHENS
THESEUS
Heroic, Duke of Athens, Theseus plans to marry Hippolyta in four days time. Appears at the beginning and end of the play.

HIPPOLYTA
Legendry Queen of the Amazons, she has recently been 'wooed by the sword of Theseus and he has won her love through his injuries'. She is now betrothed to him. Appears at the beginning and end of the play.

EGEUS
A Citizen of Athens, Father to Hermia, who insists she marry Demetrius. Appears at the beginning and end of the play. Has an important speech at the beginning of the play when he brings the complaint against his daughter to Theseus.

PHILOSTRATE
Theseus's Master of the Revels. Appears at the beginning and end of the play

THE FOUR LOVERS
HERMIA
A young woman of Athens. Hermia and Helena have been lifelong friends since 'school and through childlike innocence, they are like a double cherry, two lovely berries moulded on one stem'. Hermia is impetuous, fiery and totally confident. She does not want to marry Demetrius because she is in love with Lysander, but cannot believe her eyes when Lysander suddenly dotes on Helena.

LYSANDER
A young man of Athens In love with Hermia, he remains faithful to her and they plan to meet in the wood that night and run away together to his aunt's house, that is until Puck's misapplied magic causes him to dote on Helena instead.

HELENA
A young woman of Athens, and lifelong friend of Hermia, She is in love with Demetrius to whom she was once betrothed, but when Demetrius met Helena's friend Hermia, he fell in love with her and abandoned Helena. Helena is bright, yet cautious and not too confident. Helena should be taller than Hermia, 'She has made compare between our statures. She has urged her height' 'A painted Maypole'.

DEMETRIUS
A young man of Athens and chosen suitor to Hermia, he is pursued by Helena and eventually having been bewitched by Oberon, falls in love with her.

(A lot of physical and emotional energy is required to play these parts; the relationships pace and interplay between the characters is key to their success)

THE 'RUDE' MECHANICALS
PETER QUINCE
A carpenter with literary pretensions. He is struggling to 'direct' a play that he has written for Theseus's marriage celebration. His attempts to direct a motley crew of fellow craftsmen provides a rich vein of broad comedy potential, culminating in the 'polished performance'!! of 'Pyramus and Thisbe' at the end of the play. He also plays 'Prologue' in his play.

NICK BOTTOM
An overconfident weaver chosen to play Pyramus in 'Pyramus and Thisbe'. A ham actor who tries to convince the director that he could play all the other parts better. (That reminds me of someone I once knew!!) He also becomes Titania's ass of a lover for a short time when Oberon casts a spell on her.

FRANCIS FLUTE
A bellows-mender. Because he is the youngest he is forced to play Thisbe, a young girl, in the play, despite him showing the first flush of a beard. He insists that to do the part justice he uses a high pitched squeaky voice.

SNUG
A joiner chosen to play the lion in the Artisan's play because 'He is slow of study' and would have difficulty learning lines. Snug worries that his roaring will frighten the ladies in the audience.

TOM SNOUT
A tinker chosen to play Pyramus's father in the Artisan's play. He ends up playing the part of the wall which divides the two lovers.

ROBIN STARVELING
A tailor chosen to play Thisbe's mother in the Artisan's play. He ends up playing the part of Moonshine.

(These parts offer great scope for actors with a comedy flair. Working as a team is essential [I'm reminded of the Crazy Gang in their heyday - Who?] A balance between pathos and comedy is required at all times.)

SUPERNATURALS
OBERON
King of the Fairies, he uses magic to take revenge on his Queen, Titania, when she refuses to turn over to him the Indian boy she has recently adopted.

PUCK
Also known as 'Robin Goodfellow' or 'hobgoblin'. He is a trickster figure who pulls pranks and good luck as 'that merry wanderer of the night'. Puck serves Oberon. Must be nimble. It is possible that this part could played by a female.

TITANIA
Queen of the Fairies, she is led to dote on the ass-headed Bottom by magic and proceeds to provide him with exotic luxuries that she instructs her fairies to gather, including painted butterfly wings to fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes.

PEASEBLOSSOM
Fairy attending on Titania and Bottom after she falls in love with him.

COBWEB
Fairy attending on Titania and Bottom after she falls in love with him.

MOTH
Fairy attending on Titania and Bottom after she falls in love with him.

MUSTARDSEED
Fairy attending on Titania and Bottom after she falls in love with him.

OTHER PLAYERS
Extra Fairies attending on Oberon and Titania, Attendants of Theseus and Hippolyta at the beginning and end of the play. Young Indian Boy (non speaking, one scene only)

(Oberon, Puck and Titania have some of the best pieces of lyric and poetic writing of any of Shakespeare's plays.)

Audition Pieces

THE COURT OF THE DUKE OF ATHENS
THESEUS
Act 1.1. 'Now fair Hippolyta………' to Act 1.1. '………Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.'
Act V.1 'There is a brief how many sports are ripe.' to Act V.1. 'And we will hear it.'

HIPPOLYTA
Act 1.1. 'Now fair Hippolyta………' to Act 1.1. '………Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.'

EGEUS
Act 1.1 'Full of Vexation come I,…………….' Full speech.

PHILOSTRATE
Act V.1 'There is a brief how many sports are ripe.' to Act V.1. 'And we will hear it.'

THE FOUR LOVERS
HERMIA
Act 11.2. 'Fair love………' to Act 11.2 'With half that wisher's eyes be pressed'
Act 111.2 'Never did mockers waste more idle breath'. To Act 111.2 'You see how simple and how fond I am'

LYSANDER
Act 11.2. 'Fair love………' to Act 11.2 'With half that wisher's eyes be pressed'
Act 111.2 'Never did mockers waste more idle breath'. To Act 111.2 'You see how simple and how fond I am'

DEMETRIUS
Act 11.1 'I love thee not, therefore pursue me not'. To Act 11.1 'To die upon the hand I love so well'.
Act 111.2 'Never did mockers waste more idle breath'. To Act 111.2 'You see how simple and how fond I am'

HELENA
Act 11.1 'I love thee not, therefore pursue me not'. To Act 11.1 'To die upon the hand I love so well'.
Act 111.2 'Never did mockers waste more idle breath'. To Act 111.2 'You see how simple and how fond I am'

THE 'RUDE' MECHANICALS
PETER QUINCE
Act 1.2 'Is all our company here?' to 1.2 'Enough; hold, or cut bowstrings.
Act V.1 'Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show;….' Full speech

NICK BOTTOM
Act 1.2 'Is all our company here?' to Act 1.2 'Enough; hold, or cut bowstrings.'
Act 111.1 'I see their knavery!..............' to end of Act 111.1 Act V.1 'O grim-looked night, O night with hue so black,….' Full speech

FRANCIS FLUTE
Act 1.2 'Is all our company here?' to Act 1.2 'Enough; hold, or cut bowstrings.'
Act V.1 'Asleep my love?....' Full speech

SNUG
Act 1.2 'Is all our company here?' to Act 1.2 'Enough; hold, or cut bowstrings.'
Act V.1 'You, ladies - you whose gentle hearts do fear….' Full speech

TOM SNOUT
Act 1.2 'Is all our company here?' to Act 1.2 'Enough; hold, or cut bowstrings.'
Act V.1 'In this same interlude it doth befall….' Full speech

ROBIN STARVELING
Act 1.2 'Is all our company here?' to Act 1.2 'Enough; hold, or cut bowstrings.'
Act v.1 'this lanthorn doth the horned moon present;….' To Act V.1'………..this thorn bush my thorn bush and this dog my dog.'

SUPERNATURALS
OBERON
Act 11.1 'Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania! To Act 11.1'………..To hear the sea-maid's music?
Act 11.1 'Fare thee well, nymph……………' to exit Oberon and Puck
Act 111.2 'Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook……' to Act 111.2 '…..Here comes one.'

PUCK
Act 11.2 'Though the forest have I gone,…' to exit
Act 111.2 'Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook……' to Act 111.2 '…..Here comes one.'
Act V.1 Last speech of the play

TITANIA
Act 11.1 'Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania! To Act 11.1'………..To hear the sea-maid's music?
Act 111.1 'I see their knavery!......' to end of Act 111.1

FAIRY
Act 11.1 'Over the hill, over the dale……………..' Full speech

PEASEBLOSSOM
Act 111.1 'I see their knavery!......' to end of Act 111.1

COBWEB
Act 111.1 'I see their knavery!......' to end of Act 111.1.

MOTH
Act 111.1 'I see their knavery!......' to end of Act 111.1

MUSTARDSEED
Act 111.1 'I see their knavery!......' to end of Act 111.1

(Fairy auditions will be done at the second workshop and will consist of movement, singing and improvisation. The fairy speech in Act11.1 can be split and lines can be said by a number or Fairies)

It may be that not all the audition pieces are used. If you have any questions please feel free to speak to me.

Other information
The Story

A Midsummer Night's Dream is set in and around Athens, Egeus, a citizen of Athens, orders his daughter Hermia to marry Demetrius; she refuses because she and Lysander are in love. Her life-long friend Helena is in love with Demetrius, who once loved her but now does not. Under the law of Athens, Duke Theseus gives Hermia four days to obey her father on pain of death or confinement to a nunnery. Hermia and Lysander escape this harsh law by running away to the woods. Demetrius pursues them there, with Helena pursing him.

In the woods, Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the fairies, have quarreled because Titania refuses to hand over an Indian changeling boy to be Oberon's page. Oberon instructs the mischievous Puck, Robin Goodfellow, to press the juice of a magic flower on Titania's eyes as she sleeps; it will make her fall in love with the first being she sees on waking

In an attempt to reconcile Demetrius and Helena, Oberon orders that juice should be put on his eyes whilst he is sleeping and she is near, but Robin mistakenly puts it on Lysander, who thus falls in love with Helena. She thinks she is being mocked. Love-juice is then placed on Demetrius' eyes in order to rectify the mistake, but the result is that he too falls for Helena. The boys fight over her and the girls quarrel.

While Titania has been sleeping, a company of Athenian artisans under the leadership of Peter Quince has come to the wood to rehearse a play for the ensuing wedding festivities of Duke Theseus and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Robin puts an ass's head on Bottom the weaver and because of the love-juice Titania falls in love with him upon waking.

Eventually all is restored to right and the artisans perform their comically tragic play of Pyramus and Thisbe at the palace of Theseus.

Proposed setting
The play will be set in Elizabethan times; however, there will be scope for imagination when it comes to costuming the 'Supernaturals' and Fairies.

The staging at the Barn Theatre will be an open stage with an extended apron which will give Master of Set, Bruce Reed and Mistress of Lighting Carolyn Rowley great opportunities to create a magical, enchanted set as only they can.

This will create opportunities for characters to address the audience directly as they did in Shakespeare's day, particularly the 'Rude Mechanicals', Puck and Oberon. The stalls or 'Pit', as it was known, was standing only and the audience known as 'groundlings' were able to press forward and lean on the stage which gave them an intimacy with the players. I do not, however, intend to remove the first five rows to create a 'groundlings' area at this stage!

Kind Regards

Martin
Director