Summer’s in the air at Wesleyan. But what’s that? You’re too far gone, gripped with ennui, and languid these last weeks of the school year to prance around in the sweet warm air? You’re in luck, as a dedicated troupe has decided to frolic for you. Join them as they perform “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for you this weekend at Russell House.

Shakespeare’s a bit omnipresent in the world of theater (if you haven’t heard of him I’ll help you out. Most everyone likes him; he’s like what the Beatles are to rock music, but with plays) and director Rachel Carpman ’10 and her cast know this. In this outdoor performance, much like Shakespeare in the Park, there will be almost no traditional set. This means it’s all about the actors.
In scoring the production, special attention has been paid to how bodies interact with one another, much like a ballet. Whether it’s the fluidity of the faeries or the more ungainly gaits of the mechanicals, how an actor moves will help you recognize familiar characters. It’s like having living scenery, except the scenery itself is life (that and there’s no sad performer grasping the short straw and pretending to be a tree for five acts) and the focus is on the inherent beauty of human motion, a truly romantic notion.
I’m personally excited because of Ms. Carpman’s holistic approach to her directorial debut. She’s been quite laissez-faire with her stage, citing “that’s the actor’s space.” This means that each actor is bringing their own performance to the table, which also means more unique performances and actors who know what the hell they’re doing. It’s people bringing their own angles and ideas to the table that keep Shakespeare fresh, besides his, you know, timeless talent.

By email The Argus corresponded with Carpman to get an inside look at her approach to directing this classic.

Argus: What have you done differently to set this production of “Midsummer” apart from others you’ve seen?
Rachel Carpman: I didn’t set out to create a production that would revolutionize Shakespeare, or anything like that… I’m interested by the show’s intrinsic duality. There is the obvious duality of woods and Athens, and within that the doubling of rulers (Theseus and Hippolyta versus Oberon and Titania) and commoners (mechanicals and fairies). Even characters that are not obviously doubled (the lovers, for example) find different parts of themselves in the woods. To play with this concept (and to control the potentially voluminous size of the cast), I double-cast the show. Everybody, with the exception of Bottom and the Lovers, plays two roles. The audience moves to two different locations. The time of day and the lighting scheme plays with day and night, light and shadow. Beyond that, we decided not to set it in a specific time, but rather to let it be timeless—a story of all times. I guess my departure from other productions I’ve come in contact with is to get away from the prancing and glitter. There is no glitter.

A: How was your experience directing this production?
RC: This was a truly lovely experience. I was a little leery of the 14 person cast—how to keep so many people present and participating?—but everybody worked so hard, and they are all so talented, that rehearsals were exhilarating instead of draining. I’m really pleased with what we accomplished.

A: Are the “lessons” and concepts from works like “Midsummer” still relevant today?
RC: Never listen to your parents. Fairies are real.