"A Midsummer Night's Dream" becomes reality
I had the idea to stage A Midsummer Night's Dream in a park or forest years ago, maybe 10 years ago, long before founding Eat The Cake and long before staging shows with teenagers at the MJC of Crépy-En-Valois. So dreams do come true one day or another if you keep thinking about them and watch for the right moment, the opportune moment.
I thought that this opportune moment was in 2019. I had a good group, the right number of young people to properly distribute the roles. The director of the MJC, Lionel Vonck, was on board and supported me in my ambition to create A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare in a version of a immersive walk through the Geresme Park, this large, very beautiful and natural park right next to the MJC. My collaborators at Eat The Cake also thought it was a very good idea and they were ready to support me in the conception and rewriting of the play. We had started rehearsals well and then Covid and the first lockdown ended my dream… But it did not leave me and I knew that one day, the opportunity would present itself again. And that is exactly what happened.
In 2021, Covid was still present but better understood. People started to get vaccinated and in-person classes were able to resume. I had the right number of high school students, a very close-knit, very talented group, some of whom had been attending my theater workshops for 6 years. I saw them grow and flourish, about to start their young adult lives. Then I also have a good group of middle schoolers. Young and dynamic, sometimes a bit difficult because somewhat scattered, but with a lot of potential and willpower as well. I tell myself this is the right year, I can do it, they can do it.
I love Shakespeare and especially A Midsummer Night's Dream, a play in which I myself have performed several times. But obviously, things get lost in translation. That is probably why I did not hesitate to rewrite a good part of the play to make it more contemporary, shorten it (there was a lot of text to learn for the high schoolers, even after all those cuts) and I even had to add a character, a role for a young girl who joined the workshop a bit late (ironically, she stopped coming a few weeks before the performances and I had to have another young person play her role). Lionel and I had decided to do three performances of the play because I thought it necessary to limit the number of spectators to 50, to better manage them during the walk in the park. I was also happy that after all their work, the young people would be able to perform more than once.
It was a true challenge to stage this play, for me and the young people, who really gave their all to make this play a success. But the day before the first performance, some seemed not to quite know their lines. Others could not be present for the last rehearsals and finally, the weather forecast called for cloudy and rainy weather on Sunday when we were to perform. Sure, we could play indoors, actually, the promenade play started in the theatre in case it rained cats and dogs. Camille Aveline had created and prepared the lights to do it indoors. But that would have been a shame.
So I forced myself to keep the faith, to believe in the magic of theater and the talent of my students. Seven minutes before the start of the show, I realized I had forgotten Thisbe's wig and Starveling's lamp at home. I rushed by car because I lived nearby. Arrived at my house, I ran along the path to my home, and I came face to face with a large grass snake. Usually, I really like snakes but seeing one like that, stretched across my path while I was running, adrenaline in my veins, I had to jump a meter in the air screaming to avoid stepping on it. But I continued my run on my way back, the snake was no longer there. I told myself, "this is a good sign, snakes brought luck in Roman times".
Indeed, the first performance went very well. The weather was mild, the young actors remembered their lines and they acted very well. I was so moved with pride and happiness to see them have fun, and at the same time give a great show, that I cried like a madeleine with a blissful smile on my lips. The park gave us a setting that enhanced the text and the acting of these young actors. With some adjustments, the 2nd and 3rd performances were even better than the preceding ones, even though at the last one, one of my students, the one who played Hippolyte, caught Covid (him again!) and I had to replace her at the last minute.
The feedback we received from parents and other spectators was extremely praiseful. My students felt a sense of pride, of accomplishment, that feeling you have after successfully meeting a challenge with flying colors.
The high school seniors will be able to embark on their new adult lives with great confidence in themselves. And the others, I hope to see them back in the new school year for new theatrical adventures. I am full of gratitude for these young people who ultimately allowed me to realize my dream, my midsummer night’s dream. Now, I have to start dreaming again for next year’s workshops.