A Midsummer Night’s Dream

So, before I write about the British countryside, of which you have probably already seen my pictures, I have to tell you about A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was exactly that—a dream of a performance! I don’t know if I have ever seen such a well-performed and entertaining play! The theatre troupe that performed the play was made up of professionals from the globe theatre in London. They are a traveling theatre troupe just like Shakespeare’s original group. And let me tell you—they were talented! We were all laughing nonstop from beginning to end. :)
Paired with the excellent acting was a breath-taking location. The play was performed in the center courtyard of the Bodleian Library. This courtyard is completely surrounded by towering stone walls and cloisters. These walls provide excellent acoustics and a nice echo so that the actors didn’t need to use microphones. The air was open above us and, as the night progressed, we began to see the twinkling stars. I’ve decided that there is nothing to compare to an open-air theatre. It is an experience I would definitely recommend. However, it did threaten to rain at the beginning of the performance (I’m in England, afterall) but the skies soon cleared and we were in for a night of wild entertainment. Thankfully, my group was not sitting in the front row, for those poor souls were often pulled onto stage, kissed jubilantly, or made to do funny antics in front of the audience. :P As the people were laughing, clapping, and literally enjoying every second, I found myself wondering what Shakespeare would have thought. How would he respond if he knew that nearly 400 years after his death, people would still love watching his plays? The thought itself is overwhelming. Congratulations to you, Mr. Shakespeare, you’re still making people laugh.
I can hardly wait for London and the chance to experience the Globe Theatre! Rumor has it that since our professors want us to get “the real Globe experience,” we will be located not in the comfy chairs bestowed upon rich people, but instead in the “peasant’s pit.” As of right now, I can only imagine what that means…