Soup and Shakespeare Party - 7-year Anniversary (incomplete post)

As you can see from previous blog posts, we were reading A Midsummer Night's Dream. And we stopped posting about reading it at about Act III. Oh, well. We did finish it and we planned a celebration that happened to coincide with our anniversary. We have been together seven years and Patricia got the idea to have a reading of MND from Shawn and Sara over at Pike Schemes.

We made three kinds of soup (Matt's default lentil stew, which was a bit chewy, but good enough for Christi to request the recipe, and Patricia made garbanzo bean soup and tomato soup). From 7:30-8 we served soup and people had to figure out what parts in the play they wanted. Patricia purposely designed no system to hand out parts, although she went to http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/, which listed the number of lines for each character. Those that wanted small parts picked the fairies and the players, and those that wanted larger parts picked the lovers, the royalty, etc. People selected the name tag with their character's name.

Everyone went around and introduced him or herself and how they knew Matt and Patricia. Kevin introduced himself and said that he knew us from the Syphilis Survivor Support Group and the Ex-Pedophiles for Jesus. Michael was already drunk (he's got low tolerance) and he said he's married to Hafidha and by the transitive property, he knows everyone. Hafidha introduced herself and her husband ("He's not an alcoholic, just the opposite"). JoJo introduced himself and said he knew Matt from when they got naked for massage school. (Kevin said, "That old one.") Leo introduced himself as our neighbor and "They use my dirt."

Introductions done, we switched seats depending on who was in the scene.

It started off kind of rough, as you can see from this first photo.
But once I started in with the first lines as Theseus, people started laughing. Y'know, Theseus wooed his wife by beating her in battle, then he tells Hermia to accept her father's choice of suitor, become a nun, or die. It's not the most politically correct play, is it?
As Egeus, Michael affected a light Southern accent. It was cute.
When Theseus confessed that he meant to take care of a problem, "But, being full of self-affairs, My mind did lose it." Deborah commented, "Oops. Forgot."
Then came Helena, who was played by Julie. Julie happens to be from England and she did an amazing reading as Helena. It was a delight to hear.
Then came the players.
Deborah was the perfect Nick Bottom. When she accidentally read one of JoJo's lines, she said, "It's in character. Bottom wants to play all the parts."
Dana as Francis Flute, got to say, "...let me not play a woman. I have a beard coming." Oh, irony.
Then came the fairies. See below.
Leo has an amazing voice for acting. He played Oberon with a deep, mysterious voice, which several people commented was very fitting.

Kevin was Puck. 'Nuff said.

Kelly did a great job as Titania, although she said "Whew" after one of her long speeches.
After Helena pursued Demetrius (JoJo), who wanted nothing to do with her, Kelly gave some sisterly advice, "He's just not that into you."
Then all the fairies had to sing a song, making up the tune as we went. Thank goodness we didn't record that.
After Puck drugs the first Athenian, Kevin commented, "Footnote: hilarity ensues."
At this point, Matt's commentary tapers off. There were many lovely moments reading this play--it is a great read aloud, even for people not familiar with the plot. Several people over the next week cornered me and expressed with great enthusiasm what fun the party was and when would our next one be.

After the reading we had the traditional ice cream and hot fudge dessert and everyone bid goodnight.

Act 3, Scene 1.

Our hapless comic relief attempts to rehearse their play and Bottom is transformed. Titiania, under the influence of a Puckish substance, falls in love with him. This scene was a good example of why it was a good idea to listen to the Royal Shakespeare company as we go along. After Bottom is transformed and his fellow actors flee in terror, Bottom sings to himself as he wanders the forest. Listening the the recording, Matt noticed that Bottom was scared to be by himself, something neither of us noticed on our read-through.

This is also the point where I remembered how much I enjoy Bottom's character, with his incredible formal manners when meeting the fairies.

Act 2, Scene 2

Here's where the drug use starts.
The majority of the characters appear in one scene.
For a devious fellow, Robin's not too bright. The trickster usually knows what's going on. Although he might not really care what's going on.
Our version of the faerie song was much better than that of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Sentinel agreed (he digs humans singing).
Hermia's speech to Lysander about why they should sleep in different places could be used in role plays for abstinence education. (Reading ahead, Matt wonders how they would use the scene between Bottom and Titania. Matt's sure he can find similar videos on the Internet.)
Patricia spotted another famous line: "Who will not change a raven for a dove?"
Patricia also wants to begin using "Night and silence!" as an exclamation. As in, "Night and silence! Matt is certainly inappropriate."
An ounce is the same thing as a lynx. Who knew? Some of Matt's friends in high school were talking about wild cats.

Act 1, Scene 1 brushed up.

Our observations:

Hermia is the Michael Scott of the play. "Oh! If I tell the guy I like who likes my best friend what her secret plans to run off secretly and marry that other guy, then the guy I like who likes my best friend will like me better."

Matt observed Theseus having to best his fiancee in order to marry her and found that interesting. Some people want a sparring partner for a life partner.

He also thinks Lysander has the funniest line, "Her dad likes you, Demetrius, why don't you marry him?"

Patricia also noticed that Theseus is not that interested in Egeus' problems. "I must confess that I have heard so much, and with Demetrius thought to have spoke therof; But, being overfull of self-affairs, my mind did lose it..." (Matt says he's a flake)

Also, Matt identified with Lysander's list of why love doesn't work out. "Or else misgraffe'd in respect of years--" Then Hermia says, "O spite! Too old to be engaged to young." After all, Matt is four (three and 2/3) years younger! He would like me to type that he is five years more mature, which I am doing, but which I am also adding that he identified with Jim on The Office being 12 and playing ping pong just yesterday.

Patricia liked these lines.
Tomorrow night when Phoebe doth behold
Her silver visage in the wat'ry glass,
Decking with liquid pearl the bladed glass

We also have our first famous line, "The course of true love never did run smooth."

Next week: Act I, Scene II.