A Midsummer Night's Dream
by Benjamin Britten
Libretto adapted from William Shakespeare
By Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears
Premiered: Aldeburgh, Suffolk, June 1960

November 11, 12, 18, 19 at 8:00pm
with opera insights at 7:00pm
Conductor: David Effron
Stage Director: Colin Graham
Designer: C. David Higgins

Sung in English
with English supertitles.

Set in imaginary times in the palace of Theseus and the Wood.

Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece is considered by many to be one of the finest musical settings of a Shakespearean text. His unique compositional style enhances the hilarious story of a group of lovers who, spending a night in a forest, find themselves drawn into a web of pranks, magic, and enchantments by nocturnal fairies, gods, and others. The music serves to enlarge the passions, fantasy, confusion, and mischief while the world is turned upside down. The Fairies have enough fun after observing “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” and all is returned to normal.