Fairies Made Your Bed; Now Lie in It

I loved the live performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Castle Theater. The lovers were suitably hilarious and superficial, but the final act's handling of the couples nagged me all weekend. Most productions embrace the light comedy and sketch silhouettes of the lovers; they're not really people so much as fairy stereotypes of humans. Helena, in particular, appears to be nothing more than a girl whose desires overrule her reason. She usually has no depth, which always disturbs me at the end of the play. I want to empathize with her even though she's annoying and shallow (like she could love Demetrius for his personality). She ends up on a situation reminiscent of my nightmares: she's married to a man that she knows doesn't love her. The live production and Michael Hoffman's adaptation prioritize different groups, as seen through Helena's depiction in the final act.

Exaggerated lovers at the Castle...and Sarai judging them in the background.

Two sets of lovers dressed exactly the same way. No commentary there. Nope.

In Michael Hoffman's A Midsummer Night's Dream, any glimpse of one young couple is immediately followed by an almost identical shot of the other. They had the exact same wedding and are celebrating in the same way. The couples, as shown above, are dressed the same. They react the same during the mechanicals' play, with stifled laughter and knowing glances. Only during Thisbe's death scene does this pattern break.

Thisbe's death dramatically differs in these two productions. The live one enjoyed the ridiculous aspect, while Hoffman's took a risk and brought a revolutionary tone: sincerity. As Flute displays genuine grief, Lysander and Hermia draw close, slipping into the easy intimacy two people in love. Hermia and Demetrius, however, still stay independent of each other. Demetrius' remarks and raucous laughter during this scene alienated Helena, who laughs but often appears in rapt attention to the drama unfolding on stage.

In both productions, Demetrius immediately cracks wise with Theseus while they clap. However, Hoffman then takes a moment explore a genuine moment, possibly the only one Helena has in the entire movie. Demetrius turns to Helena, pleased with himself (the clip cut off right there) and Helena, who was touched to the point of tears, shifts her gaze to look at him. I can't decide if it's disappointment or regret, but Helena has a moment where she sees through the illusion of the Demetrius she built in her mind, the Demetrius that wooed her under a spell, the Demetrius who played the part of a lover to perfection.

The live production at the Castle emphasized the contrast between the nerds and the rockers (for lack of a better word) and cultivated rich comedy. Everyone had fun with the play and created an energy that juxtaposed beautifully with Oberon, Titania, and Puck's metatheatrical goodbye. This transition underscored what the production had masterfully executed: the difference between fairy and human. Each were depicted with flaws, but the fairies emphasized competition (especially Puck and Titania's attendants) while the humans sought solutions.

Hoffman's film instead has a much larger focus on the lovers. It makes sense that little moments of interpretation such as Helena's reaction to Demetrius punctuate the film. It makes me see a Helena I didn't think could exist but is fascinating to imagine.