It's the stuff soap operas are made of: Hermia loves Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius. Helena, on the other hand, has set her romantic sights on Demetrius, who wants nothing to do with her. Meanwhile, Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies, have become estranged as they battle over the custody of a young child.
After a tromp through the forest and the application of a little magical "lovejuice," Lysander and Demetrius are fighting each other for the affections of Helena, while scorning Hermia, and Titania is enamored of a laborer in ass' clothing.
It's little wonder, given the plot, that Shakespeare wrote in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" that "The course of true love never did run smooth."
The Bard's comic tribute to the vagaries of love will be presented by the graduating acting class at the School of Drama as the next offering in the Yale Repertory Theatre's 1997-98 season. Directed by drama school alumnus Christopher Grabowski, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" will run Feb. 19-March 14 at the Yale Rep, corner of York and Chapel streets.
"'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was, in many ways, Shakespeare's valentine to posterity, as this production is ours to the New Haven community," says Stan Wojewodski Jr., artistic director of the Yale Rep and dean of the School of Drama.
This is the sixth year that the talents of graduating drama school students will be showcased in a Yale Rep production. "We are delighted once again to afford our audiences a chance to discover what we have known for three years -- that, in this class, as in years past, we have a talented, energetic and dedicated ensemble," says Wojewodski. "The youthful enthusiasm and passion of the group made 'A Midsummer's Night Dream' an easy choice to showcase their particular strengths.
"In much the same way," continues the Dean, "the choice of Yale School of Drama alumnus Christopher Grabowski as director allows us both the opportunity to expose our Rep audiences to an experienced voice that is new to them and a chance to provide the actors with an extension of their education in the hands of an artist with whom they already have a common vocabulary."
As a Yale student, Grabowski was co-artistic director of the Yale Cabaret and Yale Summer Cabaret. Since graduating from Yale in 1989, he has directed productions at regional theaters throughout the country. He is currently director of theater at Vassar College, where he teaches directing, directs productions and plans the seasons for the Experimental Theatre.
The cast of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" includes Sheryl Anderson, Tessa Auberjonois, Meg Brogan, Magaly Colimon, Josh Foldy, Eric Scott Gould, Vivan Keh, KesKhemnu, David Koppel, C.S. Lee, Patti Lewis, Kyle Rivers, Josh Robinson, Kimberly Ross, Gregory Sobeck and Johnny Sparks.
The production features original music by Robert Maggio, who earned his B.A. from Yale in 1986 and is currently on the faculty of West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Maggio is coauthor (with Maggie Robbins) of the music drama "Joan at the Stake" and has composed music for productions in several regional theaters. His new compact disc, "Seven Mad Gods," was recently released on the CRI label.
The design team for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" includes scenic designer Kris Stone, costume designer Jenny Fulton, lighting designer Jennifer Tipton and sound designer Shane Rettig.
Tickets for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" range in price from $25 to $32. Group discounts and subscriptions are also available. To purchase tickets, call the Yale Rep box office at 432-1234; box office hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays.