Welcome back to the theatre! This production felt like a homecoming for me for so many reasons—home to Indianapolis where I was born, home to this community of artists who helped shape me as an early-career artist, and of course, back home to the theatre after a very long year away. And what a theatre we came home to! We were so lucky to perform in the brand new Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre in Riverside Park--a true honor to make art in this beautiful and powerful space. As we thought of what play would best celebrate the opening of the Taggart, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the clear choice. Full of love and magic and silliness and exquisite poetry, it really is a celebration in itself, and I believe our production felt that way to the audience. I think no small part of that was some of the choices and small changes we made to bring this story to life in a way that begins to examine some qualities that are not worth celebrating in this play—or really any play that is over 400 years old. There are a number of things contained in this text that we now understand to be harmful or perpetuate stereotypes, so we have worked hard to make choices that create a world of Midsummer where all kinds of humans (and fairies!) will feel at home. Of course, the real miracle of Shakespeare is that it is chock full of beauty and truth about the human experience—ALL humans’ experience. The universality and immediate relevance of this writing always takes my breath away, and it’s my sincerest wish that everyone gets to have that revelation, no matter who they are.
Something about this play that really comes forward for me when I read it today is how different the Athenians are at the beginning of the play versus the end. Especially given what we have all been through in the last year—perhaps we collectively understand more than we ever have what it means to have an experience that changes our worldview forever. As the play progresses, the rigid nature of Athens gives way to the free impulses of Fairy World in the woods. By the end of the play, the lessons of the woods have begun to influence the unyielding rules of Athens. Theseus and Hippolyta have evolved their understanding of each other. Theseus makes the choice to change the rules so that the young lovers can marry who they like. We go on a journey together and come full circle a little wiser and a lot more compassionate. That is my hope every time we go to the theatre together, and that is my hope for us tonight as we gather again as a community after a very hard year. Let us celebrate that we have come through these particular woods, at least for now, and revel together in what beauty and magic we can find on the other side.
https://jayharveyupstage.blogspot.com/2021/07/of-imagination-all-compact-indy-shakes.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR3_VPmgTxI669ixERs6om8M9ith_J98__2VyV208DF5BUygc58JeOFpQ0M