It was a stormy morning in Nashville and YAY to all the parents and grandparents who dragged their kids out in the pouring rain to see A Midsummer Night's Dream at the downtown Nashville Public Library! I was right there with you, people, hydroplaning on I-40 but very determined to see some Shakespeare. What a huge crowd!
This production is the second of three puppet show adaptations of William Shakespeare's works offered by Wishing Chair Productions at the Nashville Public Library this year. According to Wishing Chair Productions, "This series is intended to open the door to the world of classical theater and text by providing young audiences with a clear plotline and some verse so that the stories they are sure to be asked to read in high school will become familiar ones." I seriously want to hug these people.
The puppetry is incredible. Adult-size King Oberon and Queen Titania have illuminated, searing eyes. As I understand it, some of the puppets were crafted at the library in the puppet workshop by the Wishing Chair Productions staff. Wow. The adults were as fascinated as the kids by the puppets and scenery. The vocal talent includes Denice Hicks, Brain Russell, and Mark Cabus, some of Nashville's finest actors. The original score was composed by Belmont University's Dan Landles.
Shakespeare's most performed play has something for everyone: whimsical fairies, swooning lovers, bloody swords, a girl fight, a wedding, a donkey (whose ears and hee-haw were incredibly funny), and some of the most recognized lines from Shakespeare:
"The course of true love never did run smooth."
"Reason and love keep little company together nowadays."
And, one of my personal favorites, "Though she be but little, she is fierce." I know a lot of girls like that! Puck's journey around the Earth drew cheers from the crowd.
Be advised: this performance is recommended for ages 6 and up for several reasons. It is long (70 minutes) so the little ones get restless and disruptive which isn't fair to the otherwise entranced audience members. It has some scary stuff for the toddler crowd, like loud noises, smoke, and a few moments of pitch black. Finally, it is Shakespeare, so two people in the play within the play kill themselves with swords and blood is represented by a red scarf. The scene itself is funny (I know, sounds weird) but I can imagine that some parents might not want to expose young kids to it. Finally, Shakespeare uses the "a" word for donkey and so does Wishing Chair Productions; if you're especially sensitive to that sort of thing, you'll hear it at least 3 times.
Overall, in my opinion, this production was a real treat! Me thinks I am enamored of it. Better than what Titania was enamored with.
Recommended reading for before or after:
For the younger kids
A Midsummer Night's Dream for Kids (Shakespeare Can Be Fun!) by Lois Burdett. Favorite quote from book: "I think Shakespeare should have called it A Midsummer Nightmare! I mean who would want to fall in love with a donkey?" by Ellen, age 7.
For the older kids
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream for Kids by Brendan Kelso and Shana Lopez. I love that the authors call it "The melodramatic version!"
The next puppet show is Hamlet! Really? I am intrigued.
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