|
A director's concept changes the look and feel of a play. The following are examples of different directors' concepts.
19th and early 20th century
Daly's 1867 production in New York with moving panorama of Theseus and Hippolyta's arrival
Resource: Shattuck, Charles Harlen. Shakespeare on the American stage : from the Hallams to Edwin Booth. Folger Shakespeare Library, 1976. vols. 1-2.
illus. 46 and 47
Granville Barker's 1914 production at the Savoy
Resource: Griffiths, Trevor R. Shakespeare in production: a midsummer night's dream Cambridge University Press, 1996.
ill. 4
Expressionism
Morner's 1956 production at the Kungliga Teatern in Stockholm
Resource: Hainaux, René. Stage design throughout the world since 1950. ITS Publications, 1964.
p.210
Traditional vs. Outdoor Stagings
Peter Hall's 1959 staging in Stratford
Resource: Kennedy, Dennis. Looking at Shakespeare : a visual history of twentieth-century performance. Cambridge
University Press, 1993.
ill. 7
James Lapine's 1988 production at the Delacorte Theater (New York Shakespeare Festival)
Bird Motif
 
Titania with elements of the lyre bird; Oberon as a grouse
Puck as a tanager
Resource: Corey, Irene. The mask of reality;
an approach to design for theatre. Anchorage Press, 1968.
illus. 69, 70, 72, 74, 73
Peter Brook's 1970 Production
Set designed by Sally Jacobs
Resource: Hainaux, René . Stage design throughout the world since 1960.
Theatre Arts Books, 1972.
ill. 63
Oberon, Titania and the sleeping lovers; Enter the lion
Resource: Selbourne, David. The making of A midsummer night's dream :
an eye-witness account of Peter Brook's production from first
rehearsal to first night. Methuen, c1982.
illus. 17, 23
Hermia in the forest
Resource: Peter Brook's production of William Shakespeare's A midsummer night's dream for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Royal Shakespeare Company ; Dramatic Pub. Co., 1974.
p. 76
Bottom and friends; Oberon puts Titania to sleep with a wand while Puck watches
Resource: Kennedy, Dennis. Looking at Shakespeare : a visual history of twentieth-century Performance. Cambridge University Press, 1993.
illus. 9, 10
Other Productions
Maggie Smith as Hippolyta in Robin Phillips's production, Stratford, Ontario, 1977
Resource: Warren, Roger. A midsummer night's dream :
text and performance. Macmillan, 1983.
ill. 5
Vivian Leigh as Titania in Sir Tyrone Guthrie's production, Old Vic, 1937
Resource: Speaight, Robert. Shakespeare on the stage; an illustrated history of Shakespearian performance. Little, Brown [1973]
p. 157
Back to Research Index
|
