Synopsis:

There are several plots that all eventually tie together... Set in modern times, four college students at Athens University are about to be swept up in magical shenanigans due to a spat between the King and Queen of the fairies. 

Theseus, Dean of Athens University (though he likes to be called “Duke” instead), is preparing for his marriage to Hippolyta, a queen in her own right, with a four-day party of pomp and entertainment, and he needs to hire some entertainment. 

Egeus, an Athenian alumni, virtually marches into Theseus’s zoom meeting with his daughter, Hermia, and two young men, Demetrius and Lysander. Egeus wishes Hermia to marry Demetrius (who loves Hermia), but Hermia is in love with Lysander and refuses to comply. Helena, Hermia’s BFF, is in love with Demetrius. Yes, it’s a bit strange that a Dean of college gets involved in romantic affairs, but it’s a Shakespeare play, so roll with it. 

Oberon, the fairy king, and Titania, his queen, are in a spat, and to get back at her, Oberon sends his merry servant, Puck, to acquire a magical flower; the juice of which can be spread over a sleeping person’s eyelids to make that person fall in love with the first thing he or she sees upon waking. Puck doesn’t apply the magical flower to the right people, and since the four college kids have decided to run into the nearby forest to escape what’s happening, chaos ensues. 

A group of essential workers and community members (a nurse, Starbucks barista, Sephora worker, recent high school graduate, construction worker, and the guy who always seems to be on vacation) have been hired to be the entertainment at the big wedding and perform their play, a fumbling, hilarious version of the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. 

At the end, only Puck remains awake, to ask the audience for its forgiveness and approval of the story and to urge it to remember the play as though it had all been a dream.

When auditions originally ended, there were too many roles and not enough students... so we put our heads together and figured out how to cast students in multiple roles! The virtual format allowed us to do things that an in-person production would not. It's been interesting, to say the least, figuring out what virtual rules to follow, but the entire cast has had a blast figuring it out! 

If you take a look at the human characters (Hermia, Theseus, Peter Quince, etc.). they follow the normal rules of what a virtual world can handle. It's only when the four lovers head into the forest that the rules start to bend-- being near each other or seeing things "off-screen" are options because the forest is the realm of the fairies-- and the fairies get to bend whatever rules they please! You'll notice that Puck and Oberon in particular don't adhere to the limitations of a virtual zoom meeting.  

We're also pleased to have special guest Mr. McConnell in the role of Egeus, Hermia's father!