Lord, what fools these mortals be!

For aught that ever I could read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth.
~William Shakespeare (Lysander, scene i, A Midsummer Night's Dream)

I am prone to featuring things that relate to my kids (books they like, history and poetry competitions they've been in, and many musical works that they have performed, e.g. here, here, here, here, here, here, and here). They've been in a dozen plays and musicals, everything from The Two Gentlemen of Verona to Seussical (three times!), but I haven't spotlighted plays as often. My youngest is currently taking part in two works: Les Miserables (which I spotlighted on an Art Thursday a while back) and A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is my focus today:

A fun fight scene (“Though she be but little, she is fierce!”)


Titania (Judi Dench) is under a spell that makes her fall for a donkey in this scene. When I was talking about this video with my 14yo daughter, I asked her if she knew who Judi Dench is, and she was like, "Of course!" Silly me. (Heads-up: Judi's mostly just wearing green body paint!)


The ending monologue by Puck. This version from the Dead Poets' Society is poignant due to the obvious double-meaning it has for the speaker:


Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream is beautiful. I expect you may recognize it:


One last bit:

So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted;
But yet a union in partition,
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem.
~Helena, scene ii.

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The Poetry Friday round-up is at The Poem Farm.