A Midsummer Night's Dream

by William Shakespeare
loose adaptation by Ferdinando Ceriani
Music by The Beatles
Produced by Ferdinando Ceriani and Alice Guidi

This Dream was born within the walls of our students' homes. For the first time, it was designed to be done entirely remotely (although, initially, we hoped to return to an in-person format). Last year, we at least had the chance to set up the work before being confined due to the pandemic. Not this year. We never met in person. I've never met some of the new students in the course in person! And despite this distance, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, over forty young people connected to our virtual rooms via their PCs, smartphones, or tablets to engage in “real” theater. I think it's a miracle! Almost like a dream…

And we drew inspiration from the creative power of dreams to transform the living rooms, bedrooms, and closets in our students’ homes (and I’d like to take this opportunity to warmly applaud their families for their patience!) into the enchanted corners of a forest, where our Midsummer Night’s Dream could come to life.

So the work wasn't just about creating the characters; it also involved actually designing and building the locations, which were different each time and hosted the many stories that intertwine in this text, presented in 11 web episodes.

Imagine stepping into a magical forest on Midsummer's Eve, a realm ruled by Oberon, Titania, and their retinue of elves and fairies, led by Puck. Here, the word “love” echoes like a musical scale, touching every heart to the tune of some of the Beatles' most beautiful songs. But soon, the situation spirals out of control. The poisonous influence of the two rulers' constant quarrels confuses the couples of lovers seeking refuge in the forest, upsetting their feelings. Meanwhile, from the most remote corners, the spirits come back to life: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Ophelia, Hamlet, Falstaff and his wives, Othello, Desdemona, Iago, and Caliban. The line between fantasy and reality becomes even more blurred when the troupe of artisans led by Madonna Zeppa chooses the very same forest as their rehearsal space for the show celebrating the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta.

This is our Dream, a nocturnal journey through hilarious scenes and sudden dramatic moments that will take us until the dawn of a new day. All the characters bid farewell with the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” our special wish to see the sun again together, free from lockdown. Long live the theater, even when it's streaming!

Ferdinando Ceriani

Episodes will be available online weekly starting May 27, 2021.