Sueño de una noche de verano (Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Sueño de una noche de verano
An orchestra rehearsal frames the action of this multidisciplinary and contemporary approach to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a joint production of the theater, music and dance departments of the Coordinación de Difusión Cultural UNAM. The scenery is extremely simple: chairs and music stands rest on a printed grass carpet. Aligning the chairs turns the actors into spectators; a musical‐chairs disposition evokes childhood games. Objects acquire symbolic meaning; for instance, musical stands roll around to mirror how apparently and equally simple it is to displace affections or play a different instrument.
A real orchestra plays Mendelssohn’s music (thus commemorating the 200th anniversary of his birth) as a very active background, while its members watch the illusion, and mingle occasionally. Their presence establishes duality and stresses the existence of multiple dimensions, reality and dreams. Furthermore, the atmosphere echoes Fellini’s Orchestra Rehearsal. Theseus (Jesús Medina) is the actual conductor of the orchestra; Hippolyta (Irasema Terrazas), the soprano. The betrothed couple links the real orchestra with its shadow members.
Actors and musicians are all dressed alike; men and women casually wear a tuxedo—the full orchestra attire. Oversized ears, fluffy hair and certain garments distinguish the faeries. Orchestra members express their opinions about love and comment on what is happening on stage; they share personal and common experiences with the audience. This interaction brings to the play a wide spectrum of love tokens, from phone calls and swear words to Shakespeare’s own Sonnet 116. An accessible language and references to Mexican popular culture make the interpolations authentic.
Actors and musicians are all dressed alike; men and women casually wear a tuxedo—the full orchestra attire. Oversized ears, fluffy hair and certain garments distinguish the faeries. Orchestra members express their opinions about love and comment on what is happening on stage; they share personal and common experiences with the audience. This interaction brings to the play a wide spectrum of love tokens, from phone calls and swear words to Shakespeare’s own Sonnet 116. An accessible language and references to Mexican popular culture make the interpolations authentic.
Boundaries constantly blur in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In this show, musicians, actors and dancers recreate the dream across the distinct arts of drama, music, dance and even cinema.
Direction and adaptation: Juliana Faesler
Music: Felix Mendelsshon performed by Ensamble Filarmonía (José Luis Castillo) conducted by Jesús Medina
Choreography: Alberto de León
Set and Costume Design: Carolina Jiménez
Lighting Design: Carolina Jiménez and Juliana Faesler
Make‐up: Mario Zarazua
Type: stage
Year: 2009
Director: Juliana Faesler
Play: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Language: Spanish
Venue: Sala Miguel Covarrubias, Ciudad Universitaria, National University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico.
Cast:
Jesús Medina (invited conductor)‐Theseus
Irasema Terrazas (soprano)‐ Hippolyta/Faery
Tania Salomonoff‐ Titania/Player
Antonio Salinas‐Puck
Carlos Martínez‐Oberon/Player
Clarissa Malheiros‐ Bottom/Librarian
Alejandra Marín Aguilar‐Hermia/Player
Christopher Martínez‐ Lysander/Player
Natyeli Flores Helena‐ Helena/Player
Luis Escárcega‐ Demetrius/Player
Alberto De León‐ Egeus/Player
Virginia Amarilla‐Quince/Waitress
Roberto Duarte‐Snug/Personnel Manager
Darwin Enahudy‐Flute/Assistant librarian
María Sandoval‐Snout/Waitress
Heberto Silva Rendón‐Starveling/Personnel Manager
Full cast and crew: http://suenomaquinadeteatro.blogspot.com/
First season: June 25 to June 28, 2009
Second season: September 11 to September 20, 2009
Reviews:
The Jornada newspaper, focus on the influence of Fellini’s Orchestra Rehearsal in this production:
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/06/22/cultura/a06n1cul
Interscena, digital magazine: https://interescena.com/portada-principal/sueno-de-una-noche-de-verano-confrontacion-de-realidades-a-traves-de-la-transdisciplina-escenica/
