This production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream aims to address growing concerns related to the impact of global warming and pollution on the environment. The set design presents a forest that the wastefulness of the Athenians has turned into landscape of compressed scrap metal, trash, and decay. Conveying this message of reusing and recycling, the set incorporates sixteen flats and fourteen platforms used in previous HMTC productions. The look in the forest scenes creates the atmosphere of being in a massive nest the fairies have built from materials left by the Athenians. Contrasting the oil slick color scheme of the woods, Athens is made to be a restrictive bleached, concrete environment. The meeting ground of the mechanicals is a more earthy, rusted depiction of what is left of the city’s outer walls. The grotesque depiction of what is presented in the play as a pristine wilderness encourages the audience to prevent the world of Midsummer from becoming a representation of our future.
Lighting Concept Statement
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a complicated play, partially because the plot shifts between different sets of characters (i.e. the Athenians, the mechanicals, the four lovers, and the fairies). Additionally, the use of magic in changing the motivations of various characters makes the show even more confusing. To make the plot easier for the audience to understand, we have developed color schemes for each set. For instance, there is minimal color in the light used in Athens, but Oberon and Titania’s forest has saturated blues and reds. To make it clear that a spell is being cast, the acting area turns purple and a whirling magic effect fills the stage. The direction of the lighting instruments is also important in creating different moods onstage. For example, backlight and downlight are used to make the fairies look more menacing, but the light in Athens comes mostly from the side or the front.
Detail
Design Process
These are the painted elevations for the Athens walls.