• OBERON:
    Daniel Bubeck
  • TYTANIA:
    Anne Carolyn Bird
  • PUCK:
    Paul Mitri
  • LYSANDER:
    John Bellemer
  • HERMIA:
    Claire Shackleton
  • DEMETRIUS:
    Joshua Jeremiah
  • HELENA:
    Rachelle Durkin
  • THESEUS:
    Jamie Offenbach
  • HIPPOLYTA:
    Katharine Goeldner
  • BOTTOM:
    Nathan Stark
  • QUINCE:
    Buz Tennent
  • SNUG:
    Tyler Simpson
  • STARVELING:
    Leon Williams
  • FLUTE:
    Kyle Erdos-Knapp
  • SNOUT:
    Nathan Munson
  • CONDUCTOR:
    William Lacey
  • STAGE DIRECTOR:
    Henry Akina

Act I
Night has fallen in the woods outside Athens. Oberon, King of the Fairies, is quarrelling with Tytania, his queen, over a young boy who is under her protection. She refuses to give him up. Oberon sends his servant Puck to find a magic flower, whose juice, sprinkled on Tytania’s eyelids, will make her fall in love with the first creature she sees upon waking. He plans to steal the boy while she is under the spell.

Lysander and Hermia have escaped from the city and its law, which allows Hermia’s father to force her into marriage with Demetrius. They decide to elope and set off into the woods. Demetrius, who loves Hermia, chases after her, himself pursued by Helena, who is hopelessly in love with him. But Demetrius scornfully rejects her and runs off into the forest. Oberon, who has witnessed their argument, orders Puck to seek out Demetrius and make him fall in love with Helena with the help of the magic juice.

Six working men have also left the city to discuss in secret a play they hope to perform at the wedding of Theseus, Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. There is some disagreement over casting, with Bottom, the weaver, and Flute, the bellows-mender, finally agreeing to play the parts of Pyramus and Thisbe, the star-crossed lovers of the play’s title. Quince, the carpenter, as well as the author and director of the play, hands out scripts, and all agree to meet later that night to rehearse.

Exhausted and lost, Lysander and Hermia lie down to sleep. Puck, who thinks he has found Demetrius, sprinkles the juice of the magic flower on Lysander’s eyes. Demetrius appears, still pursued by Helena, and angrily abandons her. Alone and in despair, she sees the sleeping Lysander and wakes him. Under the effect of the spell, he immediately declares his love. Helena is furious and runs off, thinking he is making fun of her. Lysander follows. Hermia awakes from a terrible dream to find herself alone.

In the heart of the forest, the fairies help their mistress Tytania to sleep. Oberon steals in to put the juice on her eyes, hoping she will “wake when some vile thing is near.”

Act II
Later that night, Quince and his men meet to rehearse. Puck, seeing them at work, decides to amuse himself by turning Bottom into an ass. At the sight of this strange and terrifying transformation, the others run off. Bottom sings out loud to keep his courage up. This wakes Tytania, who immediately falls in love with him. With the help of the fairies, she manages to coax him to bed.

Oberon is delighted to find Tytania in love with an ass. But when Demetrius arrives, still in pursuit of Hermia, he realizes Puck has made a mistake. Demetrius falls asleep, and Oberon pours the juice on his eyes. The arrival of Helena and Lysander wakes Demetrius, who now declares his passion for Helena. When Hermia appears as well, only to be rejected by Lysander, Helena is convinced that the men have planned it all to mock her. The four quarrel furiously. Enraged at Puck, Oberon gives him an antidote to administer to Lysander. Puck leads the lovers away through the forest until they fall asleep and puts the herb on Lysander’s eyes.

Act III
Shortly before dawn, Oberon releases Tytania from the spell. Daybreak rouses the four lovers, who are finally reconciled—Demetrius with Helena and Lysander with Hermia. Bottom, restored to human shape, wakes from what he thinks was a strange dream. He wanders off while his friends search for him. They’re about to give up when he returns with news that their play has been chosen to be performed at court.

Back in Athens, the four lovers ask Theseus’s forgiveness for their disobedience to the law. Theseus decides that they shall be married together with him and Hippolyta. Quince and his players finally give their performance of “Pyramus and Thisbe,” and the three couples retire to bed. Oberon, Tytania, and the fairies bless the sleeping household—with Puck having the last word.

Dream A Little Dream...

Shakespeare’s beloved play takes on a new life in Benjamin Britten’s beautiful A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The versatility of the opera—from simple enchantment, a traditional fairytale with plenty of action and comedy, to a psychological treasure trove of madness and cruelty—will allow audiences young and old, seasoned and new, to delight in the production.

As Shakespeare’s most popular comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written around 1594 and set to music by Britten in 1960. It portrays the adventures of four young lovers and a group of amateur actors, their interactions with woodland fairies and a duke and duchess. Taking place in a mythical Athens and an enchanted forest, there is a handsome fairy king, a bewitched queen, star-crossed lovers, a weaver who is transformed into a half-donkey, wood sprites, and elves. This work is widely performed around the world, and no wonder—it’s about the world’s most popular pastime: falling in love. But as Puck knows, falling in love can make fools of us all.

This will be an exciting new production by HOT’s own design team under the artistic direction of Henry Akina.

Performance Schedule

  • February 12, Friday, 8:00pm
  • February 14, Sunday, 4:00pm
  • February 16, Tuesday, 7:00pm

All performances at the Blaisdell Concert Hall

Sung in English with English translations projected above the stage.

Approximately 2.5 hours with two intermissions

Photos

Tickets

Pricing

    Orchestra Level
  • A - $135
  • OR/OL - $90
  • B - $90
  • C - $63
  • D - $34
  • Seating Chart

    Balcony Level
  • A - $135
  • B - $90
  • C - $63
  • D - N/A

Get Tickets

  • Call the Box Office:
    (808) 596-7858 or 1-800-836-7372
  • Call the Main Office: (808) 596-7372
  • Or Buy Tickets Here:
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Pre-Show Features

  • Show Day
    at the Ward Lanai, Blaisdell Concert Hall
    1st lecture: 30 minutes before curtain
    2nd lecture: 60 minutes before curtain