OBU presents Shakespeare’s comedy

ARKADELPHIA — Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Theatre Arts will present Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6- 8, and Nov. 10-11 with matinees at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in Verser Theatre.

A comedy by William Shakespeare, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” focuses on four groups of characters — a royal court, fairies, lovers and mechanicals (craftsmen) — who, through the course of the play, converge in dramatic and hilarious ways.

“The play exposes, among many things, the ridiculous na- ture of love and how it can take you in a new direction,” said Drew Hampton, director of the show and assistant professor of theater arts.

Ouachita’s adaptation of the play will be in a late-1800s Victorian English setting. The uncut version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is five acts long, but Ouachita’s production will reduce all of the action of the play into two acts. Although the play remains true to the 400-year-old language, Hampton said he thinks the audience will not be far removed from Shakespeare’s original audience.

“It’s entirely okay, if not preferable, for an audience to come in and feel a little unsure,” said Hampton. “When Shakespeare was writing these plays, he was inventing some new words and phrases, so even his audience was hearing them for the first time. Another goal of ours is to help make the language more accessible and engaging to help our audience follow the plot and character relationships.”

Tickets are $ 10 from the OBU Box Office weekdays from 1-5 p.m.

Call the box office at 870245-5555 for more information.