As we move closer to the 2 week mark (until auditions), we shall round out our look at the characters of A Midsummer Night's Dream with a quickie view of some of the other mortals -- Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, town folk and Attendants and the direction I will be heading with them.
It is not likely that I will use the same actors for Theseus and Hippolyta / Titania and Oberon. That has been one of the most asked questions... strangely. I hope to create a slightly more immersive atmosphere, where characters truly exist, move around and appear in scenes they may not have been given lines in.There will be some connective scenes and activity where Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus and the town folk appear and live an everyday life. Therefore, I really would like to keep Theseus and Hippolyta available for that -- and not rushing around costume changes. There will be playful banter and movement throughout the show, and I need a very strong ensemble to handle that!
Additionally, we will explore a little mythology and Greek history as part of our character development and table work, and incorporate that right into our production. We will not be ruled by the myth, but allow it to enhance characterization. Yes, we are keeping our 'world' in Athens -- with a tiny alteration...
Theseus and Hippolyta are two very accomplished and passionate individuals. Both strong physically, they do have a little emotional fragility, which they will show on occasion. Both heroes in their own right, they have distinct personality strength and very powerful opinions. 
After all, Theseus took out a Minotaur and Hippolyta comes from the land that brought us Wonder Woman... 
Seriously though, these two characters will do battle in a number of ways on stage...
As for Egeus, Hermia's father (or mother), he / she will be full of pomposity, pretense and all other aspects of obnoxious 'not-quite-aristocracy' society. As you might expect, I will also ask for a bit of humanity to be thrown in for good measure. The Townspeople and attendants will also be an integral part of scene movement, any dance work we do and of course adding to the playfulness of each scene and transition. I will want all sorts of characters represented, so there is a lot of scope for character development.
From a country strawberry picking picnic to a full country Regency wedding to a Ball... all of it will be represented in this production. In my opinion, the Ensemble looks like a lot of fun to be a part of! I may have to participate in it one night!
Over the next 16 days, I will be posting about what to expect at auditions, what to expect from me as a director, what I want to see from you at auditions and some basic information about the final product (show.)
Stay tuned...
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