Oh, what a night! A not-so-secret Shakespeare lover, visiting the Globe Theatre was on my England Bucket List. But to be blessed with the opportunity to see one of my favorite plays on-stage?! Oh what gifts the Father lavishes on us!
The University of Sussex has this really neat program called ISS Trips where they sponsor weekly activities and trip outings, including weekend trips to nearby towns, hikes through the English Countryside, day trips to get English Tea, and my personal favorite: shows!
The Globe is stunning, everything I imagined it would be. The details from the stage to the surrounding seats to the gilded pillars and artwork behind were so intricate and beautiful. I love the set-up of the theatre too--I was struck by how intimate the setting is. Watching "A Midsummer Night's Dream" performed in England on Shakespeare's own (re-created) stage in British accents was truly a dream come true! The actors were fantastic--I forget how captivating the story line was! They had us laughing, gripping our seats in anticipation, shocked, and entranced by the plot line as the story unfolded. It was so much fun to participate in, especially flashing back to when I played the part of Hermia in my English Class play in seventh grade (Though I might humbly add, the acting was far superior here ;) )
I literally felt like I was transported back in time to 1596 (the year it is believed that Shakespeare wrote this masterpiece). The actors on stage swept us up into their spell, with the fairies wandering through the crowds, musicians playing the piccolo, flute English horn, and other instruments from the balconies, and the English sun setting just as the play reached its climax (in one of its many-many folds of plot)....it was magical.
The night was a neat testament to the power of Shakespeare's writings. How he could so intricately weave three different plots together, each with very defined character personalities, and each in completely separate worlds, yet still have you hooked on to each character, idea, and line absolutely astounds me! The fact that the play has remained a favorite on stage for over 500 years is no great surprise witnessing his work in action! And oh, the poetry....I am a sucker for beautiful words and Shakespeare is the master.
I believe Demetrius sums it up best: "Are you sure/ That we are awake? It seems to me/ That yet we sleep, we dream"
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