Behind the Magic: The Production of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream Andrew Cowan College

William Shakespeare’s 1600 comedy A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream tells the story of lovers who become woefully confused and actors who were woefully confused to begin with. Magic and fairies play a large role in the play, as they both move the plot along and create many opportunities for comedy. The show is often considered one of Shakespeare’s most extravagant works, and at times critics have gone so far as to call it ridiculous due to its fixation with mythology, magic, and dreams. However, the show did not get this reputation from the text alone. Rather the production elements of the play, including the lighting, the effects, and the theater itself, all played a role in giving A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream its reputation for being fantastical.

The production element (or lack thereof) that would have perhaps been most notable to modern audiences was the lack of stage lighting used in the play’s production. With no electrical lights, let alone stage lights, the production would have relied on natural light. This is quite removed from modern day productions of plays that are noted for being grand spectacles as Midsummer’s is. As Robert Graves points out, “Whereas modern lighting tends to be highly directional, emanating from two...