MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Versión y adaptación:
Sara Yubero y Alexandru Bastoreala
ESCUELA:
Los figurantes
de San Agustín del Guadalix
REPARTO. PERSONAJE ALUMNO
Theseus / Oberon Héctor Alcalá
Hipolitha / Titania Marta Lanupio
Lysandre Iván Alcalá
Hermia Valeria D’Amico
Demetrius Gabriel Agila
Helena Julia Ortiz
Egeus / Bottom Noelia Gordo
Puck Germán Naranjo
Narrador Alexandru Bastoreala
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MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM
SCENE 1. THE DISPUTE WITH THE DUKE
NARRATOR. Welcome parents to the presentation of this play. Let the curtain be opened. Our
story begins in Athens, a far away Athens full of life and joy, as the wedding of Theseus, the duke
of Athens, and Hipolitha, the queen of the amazons is soon. As you can see, here on scene our
duke is preparing the last adjustments. But the calm day our duke was having was about to end.
Here comes Egeus, the mother to one of our protagonists.
EGEUS enters
EGEUS: Happy be Theseus, our great duke!
THESEUS Thank you, Egeus. Tell me, what’s the news?
EGEUS I, full of sadness, come to complain about my own daughter, Hermia.
Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius enter.
THESEUS Your own daughter?
EGEUS Yes. (To Demetrius) Come here My dear duke Demetrius has permission to marry
my daughter. (Pointing to Lysander) But Lysander has gotten into her head with
poetry and romance. Now my daughter doesn’t want to marry Demetrius. So I ask
that, as the laws of Athens say, she marries who I want or she dies.
THESEUS What do you say, Hermia?
HERMIA I love Lysander, that’s all.
Demetrius jumps at Lysander. Egeus stops them.
EGEUS Rude Lysander! Demetrius has my love, that 's why he will marry her.
HERMIA I’m sorry my lord. But I wanted to know, what’s the worst that can happen to me?
THESEUS You can accept death or give up on any interaction with men.
HERMIA Then I would prefer to live my life as a nun than to spend even a day married to
that man. (to Demetrius)
THESEUS Take your time and think about it (pause) Demetrius and Egeus come with me, I
have some tasks for both of you.
Everyone leaves except LYSANDER and HERMIA that are crying
SCENE 2. THE LOVER’S ESCAPE
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NARRATOR: So Hermia had a difficult choice to make, luckily Lysander had a plan, he had a
widow aunt who owned a lot of land and had no children, she lived far from
Athens and considered him like her only son, there Lysander planned to marry
Hermia…
Hermia hugs him and cries on his chest
LYSANDER Listen to me Hermia, I have a plan, let’s run away! If you love me, escape with me
in the woods.
HERMIA My good Lysander! Of course, I’ll follow you wherever you go
LYSANDER Keep your promise, my love.
They leave the scene. Change of scenery.
SCENE 3. HERMIA’S BEAUTY
Demetrius and Egeus appear talking together behind a screen. Helena enters screaming.Egeus
leaves and Demetrius peaks through the screen. She goes to say hello to him like a little child.
Seeing that it’s Helena he goes back inside and leaves.
HELENA Demetrius! Demetrius…! oh… no! He doesn’t love me!
During this small monologue Lysander and Hermia, who were flirting, have entered and notice the
arrival of Helena.
HERMIA God save you, beautiful Helena. Where are you going?
HELENA Beautiful? Don’t say that. For Demetrius only you are beautiful.
HERMIA Don’t worry. He will never see my face again, Lysander and I will run away.
LYSANDER Helena, we reveal our plan to you: Tomorrow night we will run to the woods.
HERMIA But it’s a secret, don’t tell anyone. Goodbye good friend. I’ll always love you.
HERMIA and LYSANDER leave.
HELENA Oh! Hell.
Leaves. During this monologue, the actors do what the narrator is saying.
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NARRATOR. Well, you’ll see dear audience. Helena was Hermia’s best friend in the world, so for
nothing in the world would she tell their plan to anyone… well, Helena didn’t even keep the
secret for 5 minutes. She ran to tell no other than Demetrius. But not to betray her friends. Oh
no, she did it thinking that way Demetrius would forget Hermia and would accept her love…
WRONG! Demetrius took and ran to the woods searching for the runaway lovers. And Helena…
after him of course.
But you see, the woods where our young lovers went was a MAGIC forest. Filled with magical and
fantastical creatures. The thing is that day the king and queen of the fairies weren’t really in a
great mood… Let’s meet them.
SCENE 4. THE FAIRY KINGDOM
[Enter, from one side, OBERON, with his fairies; from the other, TITANIA, with hers. STORM]
OBERON We meet here, under the moonlight, proud Titania.
TITANIA What? Is this the jealous Oberon?
OBERON Wait! Am I not your husband?
TITANIA Then I am your wife. Why are you here? I’m sure it’s because your dear Hipolitha
is marrying the duke of Athens, right?
OBERON How can you be so insolent, Titania, to throw my love for Hipolitha in my face
when everybody knows you love Theseus?
TITANIA That’s your imagination, because of your jealousy, what do you want?
OBERON I only want you to come back with me.
TITANIA Don’t tire yourself, not even for all the fairy land would I go back to you.
OBERON Come back with me right now!
TITANIA Not for all your kingdom. Let ’s go fairies, if we stay any longer we will start a fight.
Leaves
OBERON Great, leave. You won’t leave this forest until I torment you. My good Puck, come
here.
Puck comes and stays beside him, imitating his stance.
Do you remember the story a mermaid once told us?
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PUCK No.
OBERON (Laughs) Yes… the one about Cupid and a magical flower.
PUCK (Thinking) Mmmm… no.
OBERON (Laughs and stops suddenly) Well I don’t remember either. Narrator! Can you help
us?
NARRATOR. Very well. The story talks about how, a long time ago, Cupid shot an arrow and
missed, that arrow fell in a field full of flowers as white as milk. Where the arrow hit a flower
turned as red as blood. It is said that this flower, when applied over the eyes, will make that
person fall in love with the first who crosses their path.
OBERON So that 's what I wanted to say, Puck. Go find it and bring it to me.
PUCK I’ll go fast like the wind.
He stays there like nothing happened next to Oberon. Oberon looks at him and with a gesture
shows that he 's taking too long… that he has to leave. This way, Puck leaves.
OBERON Once I have the flower, I will wait for Titania to be asleep and apply the juice over
her eyes. That way I will make her fall in love with a monster, a beast. (He laughs
loudly)
DEMETRIUS enters, followed by HELENA.
SCENE 5.UNREQUITED LOVE
DEMETRIUS Where are Lysander and Hermia? You said they were in the woods.
Pause. He looks at Helena hopelessly who hasn’t stopped following him as he talks, like a dog.
I don’t love you so don't follow me. Haven’t I told you a million times that I don’t
love you?
HELENA I love you more
During the conversation Oberon observes as he is invisible to the human eye. He has to react
opposite to how Helena acts.
DEMETRIUS (with hate) Please… just seeing you makes me sick.
HELENA I get sick if I don't see you.
DEMETRIUS I will run from you.
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HELENA Run! I will always find you.
DEMETRIUS I won’t argue anymore. I’m leaving.
[DEMETRIUS and HELENA leave.]
OBERON Goodbye, beautiful lady. Know that before you leave the forest, you will run and
he will beg for your love.
PUCK enters.
Welcome, Puck. Do you bring the flower?
PUCK. Yes, here I have it.
Oberon takes the flower. He looks at it and background music, like a soft pan flute, starts
playing.
OBERON Now I will go see Titania but I have a mission for you. Take some. Search in the forest
for two young lovers. The young man hates her and that is going to change. Apply to
the boy, you hear me? the boy, this flower when he sleeps and he will fall in love
desperately with the young girl. Understood?
PUCK Perfectly. I look for a human boy and apply the flower on his eyes as he sleeps.
Understood!
OBERON Perfect. Run!
PUCK Don’t worry my lord. I’ll go fast like the wind.
The good Puck leaves, running around.
OBERON I will go there where Titania’s dreams rest. You will see, she won’t make fun of me
again.
SCENE 6. LYSANDER AND HERMIA ARE TIRED
Oberon leaves. Lysander and Hermia enter.
LYSANDER My love, you are tired of walking and the truth is… I’m a bit lost. Let’s rest here for a
bit.
HERMIA Ok Lysander. I will sleep for a while here. You can sleep over there. (she points to the
other side of the stage)
LYSANDER That far? It’s so cold. Why don’t we sleep together?
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HERMIA No Lysander. I ask you for my love. Sleep far away, not near please.
LYSANDER Ok, ok. Don’t get mad. I will sleep here alone.
HERMIA Thank you Lysander. Good night.
They fall asleep. Music. Puck enters.
PUCK I’ve been searching the whole forest and can’t find the humans anywhere. Oh! They
are right here! These have to be the angry lovers. (looks at them separated) Of
course, because they sleep apart. (looks at Lysander) So mean! (Gets close to him
with the flower) Bye bye!
Leaves.
NARRATOR: Here’s where the mess begins. Yes ladies and gentlemen because you’ll think… ok,
Puck didn’t know and will make Lysander fall in love with Hermia. They are already in love! But…
Lysander is still asleep and with the spell… we have to try to make Hermia the first person he
sees. But, who comes screaming over there?
Demetrius and Helena enter screaming.
DEMETRIUS I don’t love you, don’t follow me.
HELENA Are you going to leave me alone in the dark?
DEMETRIUS Stay there!! Don’t move, don’t follow me and leave me alone.
Leaves. And Helena falls tired to the ground.
HELENA I’m so tired and sleepy…
Pause. She sits on Lysander and sees Lysander and thinks he is dead.
Lysander? What? Are you dead or asleep? Lysander!! Wake up. Wake up
Lysander.
Spell music. Love.
LYSANDER (waking up) Why do you cry Helena?
HELENA Because Demetrius left me here alone.
LYSANDER Oh, no. Where is Demetrius? I will kill him for what he’s done to
my love.
HELENA What are you saying? Don’t kill him please. For Hermia.
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LYSANDER I don’t care about Hermia, I love you.
HELENA (Amazed) You… love… me.
LYSANDER Yes! I love you Helena. Over anything. (He tries kissing her and she avoids him)
HELENA (Starting to cry) This isn’t funny Lysander. It’s not. It’s not funny… Leave me.
Leaves running.
LYSANDER Don’t run my love. Wait for me.
Lysander leaves running.
HERMIA (waking up as if from a nightmare) Ah! Lysander Lysander. I had a nightmare. I
dreamed you didn’t love me anymore. (Looks around) Lysander? Where are you?
(Scared) Was he taken by a beast? A monster? I’m sure, because he wouldn’t have
left me here alone, right? (Looks around scared) So scary! Lysander!! Lysander!!
SCENE 7. DONKEY HEAD
NARRADOR: Don’t say I didn’t warn you. What a mess Puck the little fairy made with his mistake.
But let’s leave our four lovers searching for themselves in the woods. In another part of the
forest, another fairy, this time the fairy king is making his dreams come true.
Titania enters.
TITANIA Fairies, sing to me until I fall asleep and then keep working. Let me rest, please.
Music. Titania falls asleep. Oberon enters. Oberon applies the flower on Titania’s eyes.
OBERÓN What you see when you will wake,
You will for your true-love take, Love and suffer for his sake:
Be it dog, or cat, or bear, panda, or boar with dirty hair, In
your eye that will appear
When you wake, it is your dear:
Wake when some hideous thing is near.
Leaves. Dark and Titania also leaves.
NARRADOR: It is time to present a magnificent character from this play. You see dear audience,
at the beginning we were talking of how Theseus and his dear Hipolitha were preparing their
wedding. Well you see, for the wedding they asked that a play would be performed. Yes, like you
heard, a classical theater play. The terrible tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe, a play very similar to
the known Romeo and Juliet. Well, to not waste any more time here’s the actor who will play
Romeo.
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Bottom enters.
He’s not really and actor, he’s a town worker who in his free time, enjoys acting, like us. The thing
is he was given the role of the protagonist and he has come to the forest to rehearse. There you
can see him, paper in hand, studying and rehearsing. Let’s see how he does.
BOTTOM: O grim-look’d night! O night with hue so black!
O night, which ever art when day is not!
O night, O night! alack, alack, alack,
I fear my Thisby’s promise is forgot!
And thou, O wall, O sweet, O lovely wall,
That stand’st between her father’s ground and mine!
Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall,
Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne!
Thanks, courteous wall: Jove shield thee well for this!
But what see I? No Thisby do I see.
O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss! Cursed be thy stones for thus
deceiving me!
Puck enters.
PUCK: What is that noise? It sounds like a donkey. (He has a great idea) I could keep
watching or… I could do something.
BOTTOM gets behind the white curtain as he keeps talking and then Puck puts a donkey head on
him.
BOTTOM: Oh… no… I messed up. I’ll start again:
O grim-look’d night! O night with hue so black!
O night, which ever art when day is not!
O night, O night! alack, alack, alack,
I fear my Thisby’s promise is forgot!...
I can’t get it right… I’ll warm up my voice a bit.
(Singing) Old MacDonald had a farm
Ee i ee i o
And on his farm he had some cows
Ee i ee i oh (he makes a sound like a donkey)
As he sings Titania wakes up. She sees the donkey head and starts falling in love. Love music.
TITANIA: What angel wakes me from my bed?
BOTTOM: Mi voice isn’t right (singing) Old MacDonald had a farm
Ee i ee i o
And on his farm he had some donkeys
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Ee i ee i oh iiiiiii hoooooo iiiiii hooooo
So weird. My voice doesn’t sound right.
TITANIA: Please don’t stop singing. I’m totally in love with your song. And your face… please, I
think I am so in love.
BOTTOM: Lady… I think you have mistaken me for someone else. Although well… in love almost
everybody is confused.
Titania laughs. Bottom laughs but like a donkey.
TITANIA: You are the smartest man I have ever met, and the most beautiful.
BOTTOM: Well… I think I’m neither but I couldn’t say no to a creature as beautiful as you.
TITANIA: Come with me. Tonight we marry and you’ll live forever in my kingdom.
BOTTOM: (To the audience) I will follow her, in case she is a witch, I prefer she kisses me rather
than kill me.
Leave scene.
SCENE 8. UNDO THE MESS
NARRATOR: I didn’t see that coming. It seemed enough of a punishment to make the fairy queen fall
in love with a mere human… but of a half donkey!! Well, let’s return to the other part of the forest,
where our protagonists are going to get together… I don’t think you can undo the mess they’re in.
Puck and Oberon enter.
OBERON: What do you think happened to Titania? Do you think she has woken up already?
PUCK: It was so so fun. My queen fell in love with a monster. A man i put a donkey head on.
And when she woke up BOOM! She fell in love hahahaha It was a midnight summer
dream.
They both laugh.
OBERÓN: I love it Puck. Good job but wait. Who’s coming? It’s the lovers from before. Let’s listen.
Demetrius and Hermia enter.
DEMETRIUS: Hermia please, come back to me.
HERMIA: (Without listening) Please, return Lysander to me. I know it was you. What did you do to
him?
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DEMETRIUS: Nothing
HERMIA: I don’t believe you. Get away from me. I’ll search for him alone. Whether he’s dead or
alive.
Leaves scene
DEMETRIUS: I’m so tired and sleepy. I’ll rest here for a bit.
Falls asleep.
OBERON: But, what have you done Puck? That was the boy you had to put the spell on.
PUCK: But… But…
OBERON: Fix it.
PUCK: I’m going…
Puck gets near and applies the flower on his eyes. They hide again and Lysander and Helena enter.
LYSANDER: I love you. I love you. I love you.
HELENA: I don’t like your games.
Helena trips with Demetrius who’s on the floor and wakes him by accident.
DEMETRIUS: (waking up) Are you ok beautiful Helena? Are you hurt?
HELENA: Beautiful Helena? It’s a joke?
DEMETRIUS: Helena I’m not joking.
LYSANDER: Don’t touch me and don’t touch her again.
They both fight until Hermia arrives
HERMIA: (Runs and hugs Lysander) Lysander! Lysander! You’re alive my love
LYSANDER: Don’t touch me. And don’t ever call me love.
HERMIA: What? Not call you love? Why?
LYSANDER: My heart is not yours now I only love Helena. Don’t touch me.
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Lysander goes to Helena, Demetrius during this time was with her and Lysander separates them.
HERMIA: Helena?... Helena!... (with hate) Helena…
HERMIA: You! Witch. You put a spell on my Lysander. I swear you leave this forest in little pieces.
I’m going to kill you.
HELENA: Hermia? (screams in fear) Guys. Help!!!!!
The boys jump at Hermia to separate them but they all start fighting.
NARRATOR: ¡STOP! (La acción se para) Sorry but this is getting out of hand. Oberon.
Oberon and Puck enter towards the narrator.
OBERON and PUCK: Yes…?
NARRATOR: I need you to fix this show you have made. However you can. But you need to do it
now.
PUCK: With all the fun we were having.
OBERON: You’re right narrator, with a magic fog everyone will fall asleep and while they’re
sleeping we will fix this mess.
NARRATOR: Titania’s too. Did you hear me?
OBERÓN y PUCK: All right.
Music. Smoke starts to cover the stage and everyone falls asleep. Dark.
SCENE 9. ENDING
Music changes and the lights turn on. The four lovers appear on scene, each one by the hand of the
corresponding pair. In that moment Theseus, the duke, appears with Hipolitha, his lover.
HIPOLITHA: Look Duke. There. We have found them.
THESEUS: But wait. What is happening here? Why are you so calm by each other's hands?
LYSANDER: Sir, I don’t know what to say, as I’m a bit sleepy.
HERMIA: Lysander and I wanted to leave Athens to marry each other.
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THESEUS: I’m sorry but that goes against the rules of Athens. Right now Lysander and Hermia
you are both arrested.
DEMETRIUS: Sorry but now I love Helena.
HELENA: Is that true? You love me?
DEMETRIUS: Yes. I don’t know how but yes.
HIPOLITHA: Then there isn’t anymore to say. Let the four of them live happily.
HERMIA: Can Lysander and I marry then?
THESEUS: If that’s what you wish…
HERMIA: YES.
HIPOLITHA: But you can marry tonight. We will change everything to celebrate not one wedding
but three.
THESEUS: If that’s what you wish then it will be done, my love.
HIPOLITHA: Long live the brides and grooms!
ALL: Long live!
They leave the scene and Bottom enters.
BOTTOM: But… where are my theater peers? Where did they go? They were just here
rehearsing with me. (Realizing) Is it possible I fell asleep in the forest? (To the
audience) You won’t believe it… I had a strange vision. I had a dream far beyond
what humans can understand. But they would call me a donkey if I try to explain
the dream. I dreamed I was… Can I explain it? (Lies down) I dreamed I was… I
dreamed I had… (Touching the ears he no longer has) But they would call a man a
crazy person if I told what I dreamed.
There isn't a human eye that hears, nor ear that sees, and there isn't a hand that
tastes nor nose that feels nor tongue that understands nor heart that can make a
story about my dream.
I will tell the director to make a play about everything I dreamed. Yes, That’s
what I will do. I will tell him it’s called… A Midnight… dream… a midnight…
BOTTOM dream!!! Yes, good name, because it has no bottom. Hahahaha I’m the
best. But now quickly, I have to go to the duke's wedding. I’m the protagonist of
the play!
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Leaves running.
PUCK: I told you he’s a donkey.
NARRATOR: I hope they liked this one.
PUCK: If you did applaud a lot, if not… also applaud, it’s not that hard.
NARRATOR: I think this ending is better right Puck?
PUCK: I think so. Kisses… Goodbye and sweet dreams.
THE END
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