A Midsummer Night's Dream

In A Midsummer Night's Dream, young lovers Hermia and Lysander flee to the enchanted forest (or magical underwater setting), pursued by Hermia’s suitor Demetrius and his love, Helena. The mischievous fairy Puck, serving King Oberon, accidentally causes chaos by enchanting the lovers with a magic flower, leading to mistaken identities and comic entanglements. Meanwhile, Titania, Oberon's queen, is enchanted to fall for the transformed Bottom (a manatee). Ultimately, the spells are reversed, harmony is restored, and the couples reunite. A grand wedding follows in a nearby kingdom, celebrating love's magic, while Puck reminds us to embrace the joy of dreams and laughter. 

Act I: An Estuary And Under The Sea  

Hermia and Lysander are in love, but Hermia is set to wed Demetrius. Demetrius seeks Hermia’s affection. But Helena is madly in love with Demetrius.

In the ocean lies King Oberon and Queen Titania, rulers of the fairies. King Oberon enjoys mischief. He orders his sprite, Puck to create all sorts of romantic havoc within the mortal and fairy worlds. With the dust of a magic flower, Puck and Oberon cast spells on the lovers, making many follies and fumbles along the way.  

Puck accidentally sprinkles the flower dust on Lysander and Demetrius, who both fall in love with Helena. This distresses Helena. She only has eyes for Demetrius. Now Hermia is also heartbroken.

Titania is lulled to sleep, and the spell is cast upon her, as Bottom (a wayward artisan whose head has been changed into that of a manatee) is brought to her chamber.  

She wakes up and finds herself hysterically smitten with Bottom, whose only interest is to eat seagrass.  

In the meantime, Demetrius and Lysander engage in an intense battle over the women.  

Hippolyta, the fierce Queen of the Amazons leads a charge of warrior seahorses into the Court of Athens. The King of Athens, Theseus, is impressed by her prowess and the two are engaged to be wed.  

Oberon and Puck set out to reverse the spells. The lovers are placed together while they slumber – Lysander with Hermia, and Demetrius with Helena. When they awake, they are in love with their intended partners and a triple wedding is planned.  

Act II: At the Court of Theseus  

A grand wedding between Theseus and Hippolyta, Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius ensues in a display of grand pageantry, dancing, and merriment. Meanwhile in fairyland the spell on Titania is reversed, and King and Queen of the Fairies are in love once again.  

As Puck leaves us to embrace the magic of love.  

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” – William Shakespeare  

George Balanchine revolutionized ballet with his neoclassical style, emphasizing pure movement, speed, and precision. Born in Russia, he trained at the Imperial Ballet School and began his career with the Ballets Russes. In 1933, he emigrated to the U.S., co-founding the New York City Ballet in 1948, where he served as artistic director.  

He created over 465 ballets, including his 1962 adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Balanchine’s version, set to Felix Mendelssohn’s music, captures the magic and humor of Shakespeare’s play through expressive choreography and dynamic storytelling. His seamless integration of music and dance, along with his focus on clarity and form, transformed ballet into a modern, innovative art form, making him one of the most influential choreographers in dance history. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of William Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, blending fantasy and reality with a focus on the whimsical nature of love.  

It’s unique among Shakespeare’s plays for its blend of ancient Greek mythology, English fairy lore, and Renaissance courtship rituals. It is also one of the few Shakespearean plays that prominently feature fairies and magical creatures.  

Set in an enchanted forest, it features a mix of lovers, fairies, and magical transformations. Shakespeare’s ability to capture universal emotions and blend profound themes with humor has made his work timeless and continually adapted in various forms, including ballet. 

About William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is considered the greatest playwright in English literature. His works include 38 plays and 154 sonnets, exploring timeless themes such as love, power, and the human condition. Despite his death at 52, his influence endures, with his plays translated into many languages and performed more than any other playwright’s.  

Shakespeare’s timeless stories have inspired generations of choreographers, with many of his works adapted into celebrated ballets. Some of the most notable include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, The Winter’s Tale, and The Moor’s Pavane, based on Othello. 

Felix Mendelssohn was a German composer, pianist, and conductor, renowned for his role in the early Romantic period. A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture was composed in 1826, when Mendelssohn was just 17 years old, inspired by his love for Shakespeare’s play.  

The piece captures the magical, whimsical nature of the story, with shimmering strings evoking the enchanted forest and playful woodwinds representing the fairies. In 1842, Mendelssohn was commissioned to expand this into a full suite of incidental music, including the famous “Wedding March,” which has since become iconic at ceremonies. The music perfectly mirrors the contrasting themes of romance, mischief, and comedy in the play, blending lyrical beauty and lighthearted charm with dramatic undertones. 

Listen to the music of A Midsummer Night’s Dream 

Michele Oka Doner is a Miami native and an internationally acclaimed artist and author with a career spanning over five decades. Her artistic expression is deeply inspired by nature, which shapes her unique formal vocabulary.  

If you've walked through Miami International Airport, you might have seen Michele's celebrated work “A Walk on the Beach” along the terrazzo concourse, just one of over 40 permanent installations she has created throughout her career. 

In 2016, Oka Doner designed the scenic and costumes for Miami City Ballet’s reimagined A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  

Oka Doner drew inspiration for the scenic and costume designs from various marine sources along the Florida coastline. Her research included the extensive collection of marine specimens at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science.  

Our production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream features over 150 meticulously crafted costumes reflecting the distinct palette of the littoral zone, incorporating golds and browns of sargassum seaweed. Each costume features a pearly white base enhanced with hand painting, appliqués, embroidery, beading, and sequins.