A Midsummer Night's Dream (TV 1982)

Theseus has defeated Hippolyta in battle, and now claims her as his bride. But before the nuptials begin, a pair of young lovers flee into the forest to be married, pursued by a pair of ... See full summary »

Director:

Emile Ardolino

Writer:

William Shakespeare (play)

Stars:

Christine Baranski, Paul Bates, Kevin Conroy

Cast

Credited cast:
Christine Baranski	...	Helena
Paul Bates	...	Flute
Kevin Conroy	...	Lysander
Peter Crook	...	Snug
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Bottom
James Hurdle	...	Theseus
William Hurt	...	Oberon
Ricky Jay	...	Philostrate
Andreas Katsulas	...	Snout
Emmanuel Lewis	...	Human child
Rick Lieberman	...	Demetrius
David Logan-Morrow	...	Attendant to the Duke
Caroline McGee	...	Attendant to the Duke
J. Patrick O'Brien	...	Starveling
Marcell Rosenblatt	...	Puck

Storyline

Theseus has defeated Hippolyta in battle, and now claims her as his bride. But before the nuptials begin, a pair of young lovers flee into the forest to be married, pursued by a pair of not-lovers. There, in the forest, live the fairies whose lives are in turmoil, due to the heated lovers' quarrels between their rulers, Oberon and Titania. Between the fairies, an ass's head, the lovers, a troupe of unsuspecting would-be actors, and a magic flower that can make people fall in love at first sight, it's a merry night of chaos and comedy until everything is put to rights.

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Plot Keywords:

stage | new york | shakespeare's a midsummer night's dream | live performance | based on play

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Company Credits

Production Co:

New York Shakespeare Festival

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Sogno di una notte d'estate (1983)

User Reviews

Live and at its best

This is the best version of Midsummer's I've seen, of the three I've seen (1935, James Cagney as Bottom; 1981 BBC version, Nigel Davenport as Theseus; this one). I'm afraid, though, that all the fairy characters seem to be acting just a little too full of themselves, especially William Hurt. Not that that's too bad, especially in Hurt's case, because he's supposed to be kind of self-centered anyway. The rustics (eg. mechanicals, clowns) were very funny, especially in the Pyramus and Thisby scene at the end. This is the funniest version of Quince's prologue you'll find, and it's probably the way Shakespeare intended it, to boot! The lovers, though their haircuts and makeup date them like anything, act their parts well, and you can actually enjoy their super-long mid-play scene (if Hermia's voice doesn't drive you crazy). In this show Bottom and Puck don't seem to be the centers of the play, as in most productions. Probably the most engaging thing about this version of Midsummer's is that its live; although Shakespeare does remarkably well on film (considering its age), his works are still enjoyed best by the group he originally wrote them for, the live audience. I recommend this film for drama, Shakespeare, and film buffs alike.