Fall Play Presents Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," with a Twist
The set of this year’s fall play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, features a barn in a dreamy forest, with a cover band off to one side.
Wait, say what? A cover band playing a contemporary soundtrack to one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays? That’s right. This contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic comedy adds an unexpected musical element to Saint Viator’s interpretation, taking its inspiration from some “fun, thematic elements,” as junior Elle Hohmier puts it.
The shows take place Thursday, October 24, through Saturday, October 26, at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 27, at 2:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.
“I just love the adaptation,” says Elle, who also helps lead the tech crew while playing the role of Queen Titania. “It’s a little bit country. People will recognize the music.”
Senior Brendan Patton is the music director, leading the nine student musicians during the play.
“It’s been very interesting so far,” he says. “I’m counting the beats off, but I’m also following the script.”
Director Megan Gray said she selected this Shakespeare play for its multilayered themes and its sheer fun for students.
“It’s just one of Shakespeare's most classic and accessible pieces,” Ms. Gray says. “As we've never tackled Shakespeare as a group before, this felt like the natural entry point.”
The comedy is about magic, mischief, and love. It takes place in ancient Athens during a festival to celebrate the upcoming marriage of Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta. When the young Hermia and Lysander learn that their love is forbidden, they run away into the woods, setting off a whole comedy of mayhem.
While Saint Viator students read and interpreted Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as freshmen and are currently studying Hamlet as juniors, the thought of performing Shakespeare was a little intimidating, the actors said.
“Honestly, I didn’t know Shakespeare could be so whimsical,” said junior Joe Kaiser, who plays the role of King Oberon. “But I really grew to love the poetic language, with its couplets and rhythmed syncopation. It almost rolls off the tongue.”
Senior Thomas Ballard, who plays Lysander, who falls in love with Hermia, says Shakespeare’s famous iambic pentameter is helpful.
“It helped me remember my lines,” he says.
Likewise, junior Nixon Kollias, who plays Hermia, said Shakespeare’s famous dialogue, while initially hard to interpret eventually became fun to deliver.
“The syncopation helps,” she said, “and all of his lines end up with a little joke. It’s fun, and it helps me remember my lines.”
Saint Viator High School
Located in Arlington Heights, IL, Saint Viator High School is a private, co-ed, Catholic school for grades 9-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.
