Siggy Alden
Holt
Senior Seminar
12, December 2019
Shakespeare took a very interesting approach to the composition of A Midsummer Nights Dream. Making it a very confusing but intriguing play. It takes the illusion of being set inside of a dream that shows a lot of drama between four lovers who get mixed up in a fairy spell. In my adaptation we decided to take a much different approach to the play. Our adaptation differs because the overall feel of the play is much more dark and eerie, with music that has a dark feeling to costumes and scenery that looks shadowy and somber. In Shakespeare's adaptation the costumes vary but ultimately are dull and don't really send a message about who the character is and what their importance is in the play. Having royals in clearly different materials and colors sends an obvious message that they are of some importance and overall leans to give the viewer a higher understanding of the text.
To further our differences compared to Shakespeare we decided that some characters would receive their own theme song based on their importance, the more important characters would have their own costumes that do not change throughout the progression of the play. To keep the dream feel I had sectioned the adaptation into three major parts, as the play progresses, the characters would transition into different time zones and time travel through realms. We would depict this by characters clothes changing to clothing of different era’s such as a peasant look, an early moderns look and a 20th century look for each character.
This adaptation will be one of the best adaptations out their, keeping the viewer intrigued and interested in the plot with new twists that would draw anyone in, confusing scenes that soon make sense, with humor that would get anyone laughing and costumes that are completely outcast and inspiring.
This play is attempting to create a new view on A Midsummer Nights Dream so that people in the 20th century have more fun and have more of an overall understanding on what Shakespeare was trying to create with his writing back in the 15th century. My adaptation overall sends a better and more clear message then Shakespeare's version by making sure that the audience understands the language through the text and the depictions on stage as a whole.
Overall my adaptation would give any audience member a better understanding of what A Midsummer Nights Dream is all about. When you read the text, unless you have very skilled reading comprehension you are most likely not going to be able to follow along and understand Shakespeare's 15th century english. By providing a 20th century twist to this play, more and more people wont feel as intimidated to learn and understand his works. The feel of time travel and the look of the scenes in different realms will leave so much to the imagination. People will get drawn in to the wild costume changes and the dark music. This adaptation will be not only a better version then any other adaptation but it will be the first to truly accomplish a true and higher understanding of what A Midsummer Nights Dream is about.
Holt
Senior Seminar
12, December 2019
Shakespeare took a very interesting approach to the composition of A Midsummer Nights Dream. Making it a very confusing but intriguing play. It takes the illusion of being set inside of a dream that shows a lot of drama between four lovers who get mixed up in a fairy spell. In my adaptation we decided to take a much different approach to the play. Our adaptation differs because the overall feel of the play is much more dark and eerie, with music that has a dark feeling to costumes and scenery that looks shadowy and somber. In Shakespeare's adaptation the costumes vary but ultimately are dull and don't really send a message about who the character is and what their importance is in the play. Having royals in clearly different materials and colors sends an obvious message that they are of some importance and overall leans to give the viewer a higher understanding of the text.
To further our differences compared to Shakespeare we decided that some characters would receive their own theme song based on their importance, the more important characters would have their own costumes that do not change throughout the progression of the play. To keep the dream feel I had sectioned the adaptation into three major parts, as the play progresses, the characters would transition into different time zones and time travel through realms. We would depict this by characters clothes changing to clothing of different era’s such as a peasant look, an early moderns look and a 20th century look for each character.
This adaptation will be one of the best adaptations out their, keeping the viewer intrigued and interested in the plot with new twists that would draw anyone in, confusing scenes that soon make sense, with humor that would get anyone laughing and costumes that are completely outcast and inspiring.
This play is attempting to create a new view on A Midsummer Nights Dream so that people in the 20th century have more fun and have more of an overall understanding on what Shakespeare was trying to create with his writing back in the 15th century. My adaptation overall sends a better and more clear message then Shakespeare's version by making sure that the audience understands the language through the text and the depictions on stage as a whole.
Overall my adaptation would give any audience member a better understanding of what A Midsummer Nights Dream is all about. When you read the text, unless you have very skilled reading comprehension you are most likely not going to be able to follow along and understand Shakespeare's 15th century english. By providing a 20th century twist to this play, more and more people wont feel as intimidated to learn and understand his works. The feel of time travel and the look of the scenes in different realms will leave so much to the imagination. People will get drawn in to the wild costume changes and the dark music. This adaptation will be not only a better version then any other adaptation but it will be the first to truly accomplish a true and higher understanding of what A Midsummer Nights Dream is about.