The O’Connell Players premiered four shows of their fall production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, from November 4-6. Although a classic Shakespeare play, the show was anything but conventional. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a comedy, is set in Athens and the surrounding woods, and expounds on the theme of folly in love. The show follows Hermia and Lysander, who are in love but forbidden to marry, and Helena, in love with Demetrius, who in turn is in love with Hermia. The plot thickens when the mischievous fairy Puck employs magic to make both men fall in love with Helena, and the couples must untangle the mess that ensues. O’Connell senior Samantha Rough brought a comedic spin to her role as Helena and sophomore Samantha Stewart’s portrayal of Hermia was moving. One of the show’s biggest features though was its inventive Carnival theme, a spooky setting reminiscent of Halloween the week before.

The play opened with Carnival-themed music that was also featured during scene transitions. Sets and costumes, which included wind-up dolls, mimes, and more, brought the Carnival theme to life. When choosing costumes for the show, costume designer and senior Caroline Egan focused on jewel tones and took inspiration from music box dolls and marionettes. Senior Georgia Hoffman, who played Puck, says that “the vintage carnival aesthetic clicked surprisingly well for this show” and stated that it “gave the actors a whole new level to explore when it came to their character”. Hoffman is right—the mysteriousness of the Carnival theme blended well with the show’s magical elements. As part of the Carnival theme Hoffman discusses that she “play[ed] into the carnival hypnotist concept of Puck the fairy.” Later this year, A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be followed by the theater program’s “Broadway Knights” and the spring musical, Anything Goes by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter.