Midsummer hits fall
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the first Franklin College theater production of the year, opened on Wednesday. One of William Shakespeare’s comedies, the play centers around Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia and Helena. Both men are in love with Hermia, and while her father wants her to wed Demetrius, Hermia only has eyes for Lysander, while Demetrius is loved by a girl named Helena.
When Hermia and Lysander flee, Demetrius goes after them, who in turn is followed by Helena. It’s in the woods that the four encounter a fairy named Puck, a mischief maker with the intent to make everyone fall in love with the correct people. They also meet the rest of the fairy kingdom in their night-time travels.
Puck also enchants a group of workers who are trying to produce a play.
The Franklin talked to two of the actors last week as they worked through their final rehearsals. Senior Jon Parrish plays Puck while sophomore Zach Morris has two roles in the current production: a metal worker named Snout and Peablossom, a woodland fairy.
Morris, Parrish and the rest of the cast went through rehearsals for more than a month to prepare for the show’s run, which continues through Sunday.The Franklin: I’ve heard that Shakespeare plays are one of the most difficult ones to perform in. What was your experience in this case?
Zach Morris: Every play has its own kinds of difficulty. Shakespeare plays typically involve language that is unfamiliar with people, so the difficulty lies within just trying to make sure what you are saying is understood by the audience.
Jon Parrish: The language is hard at first, but once you are able to understand what everything means and relate it to modern language, you are able to figure what you’re saying as well as how to say it.
TF: If you could, would you change your role?
ZM: I would say Bottom [played by junior Ben Fisher]. He’s such a funny character that it would be a lot of fun to try.
JP: I wouldn’t change my role because I’m having a lot of fun with my character.
TF: What was your overall experience with “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”?
ZM: I had a blast with the group of actors I have worked with. I really think every role was cast as well as it could be and we all have so much fun hanging out and helping each other get better.
