| The Play Begins | Once upon a time, in the late 1500s, there lived a man named William Shakespeare, a word-smith and a maker of plays. We don’t know very much about Shakespeare personally. About his plays, we know much more, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the most popular and most loved of all of Shakespeare’s plays. And now good friends, we meet out players:These be Athenians – Lord Theseus who has conquered the Amazons and has brought back for his bride-to-be, Queen Hippolyta. |
| Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius Enter | And coming here are our young lovers – Lysander and Hermia, Helena and Demetrius. A very merry mix-up in misplaced love. (Point from Demetrius to Hermia) He loves her but she loves him not. (Point from Helena to Demetrius) She loves him but he loves her not. |
| Quince, Snug, Bottom, Snout, Flute, and Starveling Enter | Such as they are, these be bumpkins: they are for your sport and laughter. |
| Fairy Noises | And there be fairies, who are creatures of the imaginations, very headstrong, and willful. And therefore with no more ado…let us give our play for you. (Exit) |
| Helena Monologue. Ends with “There let him see how badly she behaves and, turning from her, he will find me true.” (Helena Exits, Narrator Enters) | Poor Helena. Love really is blind. She will betray her friend’s confidence in the hope of making Demetrius love her. As Shakespeare would say,”That’s the stuff of which good plots are made.” But here come our bumpkins, who are the subplot of this story. They have decided to put together a little play of their own to entertain the duke at his marriage feast. (Exit) |
| Quince Lines. Ends with “Perhaps, too the duke shall make us some reward for our goodly entertainment.” (Craftsmen Exit, Narrator Enters) | And now, we give you…fairies…(Exit) |
| Oberon Monologue. Ends with “In they eye that shall appear When thou wakest, it is thy dear. Wake when some vile thing is near.” (Oberon Exits, Narrator, Lysander, and Hermia Enter) | Now Oberon has sent Puck off on his trek to put the love juice in Demetrius’ eyes, so that he will fall in love with Helena. Puck is supposed to find a sweet Athenian maid in order to complete his task…Now look who has just arrived on the scene…Lysander and Hermia. I think things are about to get a bit more complicated. (Exit) |
| Bottom: Not a word will I say. come, let us get our costumes. Be quick and let each of us look over our parts lest we forget a line. Come, away! (Craftsmen Exit, Narrator Enters) | Now our play is almost done, but Bottom’s play is just begun, Back to Athens we shall go, for Bottom’s play and to end our show! (Exit) |
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” One-Act Play Narrator Lines
August 19, 2019