Opening Night – Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Shakespeare’s beloved play takes on a new life in Benjamin Britten’s beautiful A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The versatility of the opera—from simple enchantment, a traditional fairytale with plenty of action and comedy, to a psychological treasure trove of madness and cruelty—will allow audiences young and old, seasoned and new, to delight in the production.

As Shakespeare’s most popular comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written around 1594 and set to music by Britten in 1960. It portrays the adventures of four young lovers and a group of amateur actors, their interactions with woodland fairies and a duke and duchess. Taking place in a mythical Athens and an enchanted forest, there is a handsome fairy king, a bewitched queen, star-crossed lovers, a weaver who is transformed into a half-donkey, wood sprites, and elves. This work is widely performed around the world, and no wonder—it’s about the world’s most popular pastime: falling in love. But as Puck knows, falling in love can make fools of us all.

This will be an exciting new production by HOT’s own design team under the artistic direction of Henry Akina.