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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Bard in the Quad

We (Holly, Ilex, Drake, Shannon, Levi, and I) attended our first Bard in the Quad performance at OSU last year. After a fabulous time, we were determined not to miss this year's performance: A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The 2008 production will be performed in the style of the great silent films of the early 1910s and 1920s, with fantastic costumes reminiscent of the Ziegfeld Follies, Valentino..., Mary Pickford and the great silent film comics Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin... all under a midsummer night's sky!

The evening weather was absolutely perfect and we had tremendous seats. We felt like we were a part of the production as actors walked up and down the aisle mere inches from us. The acting was physically hilarious, the costumes fascinating. I loved watching the glow deepen as the sun set. As the dark gradually increased, the theater lights brightened. Oh, what a night!


Hippolyta, Philostrate, and Theseus:

Fairies and Puck:

Titania and Oberon:

Peter Quince, Bottom, and Co.:

The Gorgeous Memorial Union Quad at Dusk:
Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena:
Peter Quince Setting the Stage:

9 comments:

Jen Rouse said...

I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it. I'm going for my birthday next week, and I must say the silent-film-era setting looked a little odd to me. Also I read a review of the performance saying that the director has added in some of his own lines and changed certain things from the original text, and I wasn't sure what I thought about that.

Skeller said...

What a neat twist, a unique way to present the classic Shakespeare comedy...
Your photos are totally wonderful and fun (you're putting those TRA's to good use!!) - it was certainly accomodating of the production to provide you with such nice light ;-)
We'll be going to MND this Sunday (Shakespeare by the Sea production). It'll be interesting to see if they do a twist, too.

Anonymous said...

How delightful it must have been! Your pictures are wonderful.

Heidi said...

Jen~ Personally, I loved it. I've seen the play done traditionally (also enjoyable) and read or listened to various retellings. I'm not a Shakespeare purist nor expert. I just had fun! :) I thought the costumes and style added to the comedy, but I'm sure it might seem distracting to others. I appreciated a different point of view, something new and interesting. I hope you like it and have a lovely birthday!

skeller~ Last year they did Much Ado About Nothing set in the World War II era. Rosie the Riveter, choreographed swing dance numbers, army jeeps... Loved it! I'll be waiting to see pictures of your shakespeare viewing. :)

candidreflections~ Thanks!

Sarah at SmallWorld said...

Oh, that reminds me that I'm supposed to be finding a date when we can go see Shakespeare on the Square here!! This year they are doing Merchant of Venice and Love's Labours Lost. This is one of my favorite summer traditions (although last year, that was the night my husband got in a car wreck....)

Anyway--beautiful pictures! And please come to my housewarming party at smallworldathome.blogspot.com! It wouldn't be a party without you!

heather said...

Beautiful photos!

travelin' nan said...

What's this? I missed a way cool event? Heidi it sounds like you know the happenings up north. Perhaps we can lure you down here for some fun events.

Heidi said...

travelin' nan~ Yes! Let me know when events come up down your way and I'll see what I can do. I'd love to make it down there sometime in the near future!

Beth@Pages of Our Life said...

You are having too much fun with your pictures! They are beautiful! It is encouraging to know you learned most of your info by trial and error. :-) Thanks, for anwering my earlier questions.