As Theseus, Duke of Athens, is arranging festivities to celebrate his wedding to Hippolyte, Queen of the Amazons, a nobleman storms into court to seek his judgment. His daughter, Hermia, loves Lysander and refuses to marry Demetrius, the suitor her father has chosen. Theseus gives her until his wedding day to decide upon the marriage, a life of chastity, or possible death. Hermia and Lysander plan to elope.  Hermia tells her friend Helena, who loves Demetrius, of her plans, which sets all four off to the woods falling in and out of love during an enchanted evening among the fairies. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one Shakespeare’s most popular plays, weaves four intertwined plots around the themes of love, magic, and dreams. On another level there is a tiff between Oberon, king of the fairies, and Titania, his queen, over an Indian boy, son of one of her followers. Lastly, there is the comic relief of a crew of craftsmen in the woods rehearsing a wretched version of “Pyramus and Thisbee” to perform at the Duke’s wedding. Throughout the action, Puck, Oberon’s  “shrewd and knavish sprite”, dispenses love potions to guide the course of the various romances for better and for worse. After an evening of mishaps and turnabouts in the woods, attachments come into alignment. The Duke and Hippolyte discover the parties on a hunt early the following morning. As they recount their bizarre adventures all agree that they must have been dreaming. We, meanwhile, are thoroughly convinced of the truth of Lysander’s remark that “the course of true love never did run true”.

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