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Reacting to Adaptations of A Midsummer Night's Dream Together (Patreon)

Published:
2022-07-18 16:00:06
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Today we're discussing some famous adaptations of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

We'll begin by appreciating artwork by William Blake and Sir Joseph Noel Patton, before moving on to discuss the likes of Peter Brook, Max Reinhardt, and Felix Mendelsohn.

Video Timestamps:

  • 0:00 from tragedy to comedy
  • 2:00 performance vs poetry
  • 3:00 our pieces for appreciation
  • 4:00 William Blake’s faeries
  • 5:20 our shifting views of faeries
  • 8:00 Patton’s Oberon & Titania
  • 8:45 on counting your faeries
  • 9:50 on dream interpretation
  • 11:00 Freud, Nietzsche & Heraclitus
  • 12:50 Homer on prophetic dreams
  • 13:30 Shakespeare on dreams & playing
  • 14:50 Clarissa’s nightmare
  • 15:55 Peter Brook’s production
  • 17:50 the Deadly Theatre
  • 18:55 the Holy Theatre
  • 20:14 the Rough Theatre
  • 21:20 should the faeries fly?
  • 22:00 gender subversion in Shakespeare
  • 24:00 what does “traditional” mean?
  • 25:00 Shakespeare in the Screen Age
  • 26:40 Dream as fever dream
  • 27:40 Brecht vs Artaud vs Stanislavski
  • 28:00 Romantic vs Post-Modern
  • 29:26 Max Reinhardt’s 1935 film
  • 30:00 on foreign adaptations
  • 31:50 Reinhardt vs Brook
  • 34:00 Mendelsohn’s music
  • 34:25 Shakespeare in German
  • 35:00 the Wedding March
  • 36:50 Pyramus and Thisbe (RSC)
  • 38:00 Comedy as festive celebration
  • 40:00 the play-within-the-play
  • 40:30 The Taming of the Shrew
  • 41:40 are our lives plays?
  • 42:00 your thoughts on the Dream?

For your viewing pleasure:

Mentioned in the show:

The National Theatre produced five interpretations of the same scene in the style of different influential directors. You may find it interesting to see the difference between Konstantin Stanislavksi, Jerry Grotowski, Peter Brook, Bertolt Brecht, and Antonin Artaud. You can enjoy the short films here.

Questions to Consider:

1) Are we seeking to cure something inside us with our interpretation of fiction?

2) Do you prefer the more experimental interpretations of Peter Brook and Jan Kott? Or are you more drawn to the Romantic/Mendelsohnnian productions?

3) Why do you think the most influential interpretation of the Dream was by a composer who didn’t read Shakespeare in English?

Happy reading, everybody!

Files

Previews only

Reacting to Adaptations of A Midsummer Night's Dream

0:00 from tragedy to comedy 2:00 performance vs poetry 3:00 our pieces for appreciation 4:00 William Blake’s faeries 5:20 our shifting views of faeries 8:00 Patton’s Oberon & Titania 8:45 on counting your faeries 9:50 on dream interpretation 11:00 Freud, Nietzsche & Heraclitus 12:50 Homer on prophetic dreams 13:30 Shakespeare on dreams & playing 14:50 Clarissa’s nightmare 15:55 Peter Brook’s production 17:50 the Deadly Theatre 18:55 the Holy Theatre 20:14 the Rough Theatre 21:20 should the faeries fly? 22:00 gender subversion in Shakespeare 24:00 what does “traditional” mean? 25:00 Shakespeare in the Screen Age 26:40 Dream as fever dream 27:40 Brecht vs Artaud vs Stanislavski 28:00 Romantic vs Post-Modern 29:26 Max Reinhardt’s 1935 film 30:00 on foreign adaptations 31:50 Reinhardt vs Brook 34:00 Mendelsohn’s music 34:25 Shakespeare in German 35:00 the Wedding March 36:50 Pyramus and Thisbe (RSC) 38:00 Comedy as festive celebration 40:00 the play-within-the-play 40:30 The Taming of the Shrew 41:40 are our lives plays? 42:00 your thoughts on the Dream?

Comments

Caroline P

How enjoyable once again Ben. I must say I didn’t enjoy the Peter Brook version because I felt distracted by the need for it to sort of deconstruct the play. It became about Peter Brook and not Shakespeare. That said, I really appreciate that this was done and just pushed the boundaries. I think seeing where a play can go is a really beneficial thing to do. For this reason I have thoroughly enjoyed the five Ophelia clips. My favourite was the Grotowski, which goes against what I just said about Peter Brook above, but that version just got under my skin and made me feel Ophelias disturbed mind. Artaud went a step to far for me but it was still really interesting and valuable to see. In all of them there was a very enjoyable ASMR Of the clips about Midsummer Nights Dream I am completely in love with the RSC Pyramus and Thisbe clip. It made me laugh so much. I loved the eye contact, the play of a play, the finely tuned mistakes… all of it. I could watch it all day and still giggle. I wish I had been in that audience. Lastly, just saying, I have really noisy dreams, often with music. When I wake up it is often a blessed relief for a bit of quiet. It would be ok if I got to choose the music, but sadly not.

Caroline P
>>87903184

Ps I can never remember everything.. just adding that I think Midsummer comes forth so far.. but a strong fourth.. I loved it.

Autumn Matthews

Who counted the fairies in the Patton painting (8:02 in the video). Was it CS Lewis or Lewis Carroll? I am currently teaching a unit on Alice in Wonderland…and would love an artsy tie-in. Since Carroll taught math, I could easily envision him trying to quantify visual depictions!

hardcoreliterature
>>87906390

It was Lewis Carroll. Thanks for the catch. You’ll have to forgive that Freudian slip, Autumn! I’ve been planning a podcast on the Narnia series the last few days so I’ve been saying his name a lot 😊 He saw the painting as part of an exhibition a little over a decade prior to publishing Alice in Wonderland. And I’d love to hear how your teaching unit goes. Such a fabulous book for so many reasons :)

Margaret McNally

These videos are definitely some of my favs where the written word meets the visual! Just these videos are worth the price of admission! The Pyramus and Thisbe clip is so great! How fun to have an audience like that or be part of it! The 1935 film I have to see!!! Has so many of my favorite classic actors. I don't think they've played it at the TCM Festival. It's a great one to request. Some of my favs at that festival are when they have a live orchestra or have some other cool thing added. James Cagney as Bottom!😊 Love that it can be interpreted in so many ways....of course I prefer the Romantic. I'd do my version with lots of glitter and so very colorful. Dreams...love it! I've included dreams within my journals for over 30 years. I'm one who gets answers and prophetic dreams. It's cool, sometimes alarming. It freaks some out, yet my friends, family+ are use to it. Dreamweaver is one of my nicknames.😴 Many lines I loved in this play. Maybe could use later for something.🤔 One that sticks out and am sure I've my own interpretation of is...."I am that merry wanderer of the night"

Vicky

That was a very enjoyable couple of hours after a truly shit week Ben thank you - lovely music, gripping clips and hilarious RSC production , so good 😊 loved the 5 Truths , probably stanislawski my favourite, I thought I’d love the Grotiwski or the Artaud but after the first couple of minutes they lost my interest, actually. I like new and surreal versions of old plays, and I like more traditional versions I think there’s room for both ☺️

hardcoreliterature
>>88071160

Thank you, Vicky. Aw, I'm sorry to hear you've had a shit week. I've had a tough one myself. I hope things are getting better for you. And nice one on having the Stanislavksi as your favourite. I was obsessed with his "method" when I was a young drama student - I absolutely devoured his books :)

hardcoreliterature
>>88057482

That would certainly explain a lot! Germany has been one of the best countries for indulging a love of Shakespeare :)

Clare Shepherd

Yes, I learnt about it on a Shakespeare course on FutureLearn with Jonathan Bate.