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Shakespearean play offers timeless
love, magic
BY VICTORIA BROWN (/STAFF/PROFILES/VICTORIA-BROWN/), STAFF WRITER
Published: Thu Feb 19, 2015
A classic Shakespearean play that focuses on love and magic will make its way to University of
Tennessee this month.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” one of Shakespeare’s most comical plays, focuses on the love and
events surrounding four Athenians. The play also includes a group of mechanicals, who work to put on a
show for the Duke throughout the play.
Neil Friedman, Clarence Brown Theatre’s artist-in-residence, plays two different characters in the play.
The first, Egeus, is a man who tries to stop his daughter, Hermia, from marrying someone he dislikes,
though she eventually follows her own heart.
“He is kind of stern and wants his daughter to do what he says,” Friedman said. “He wants her to love
who he approves of. The Duke says if she doesn’t do what her father says, she can be killed.”
Friedman also play Francis Flute, a bellows-mender in the play.
Friedman said the cast has been rehearsing the play for the past few weeks and have recently started
their dress rehearsals in the Alumni Memorial Building.
Friedman said “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is one of his favorite plays to perform, and he credits
“love and magic” as to why the play is so timeless, even after all of these years.
“I love the play. I love Shakespeare,” Friedman said. “It’s 400 years old, but I love this because there's a
lot of magic involved.”
Friedman said the play is funny and touching and for anyone who just wants to enjoy a love story.
“It’s about love and people just wanting to get together with the people they love,” Friedman said. “It
gives a glimpse into the real world and also the fairy world. It’s just magical and quite beautiful and I
really love that part of it.”
David Kortemeier is a visiting actor who plays Nick Bottom, one of the mechanicals, whose storyline is a
play inside a play as he rehearses and prepares his part to perform for the Duke. He called the
mechanicals the “clowns of the play” and said they provide most of the comedic release.
For Kortemeier, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is nothing new, as he’s acted in the play before. He has
performed the play five times in different roles but said this is probably the best one yet. He encourages
everyone to see the play.
“It has great costumes, lights, dancing and singing. It always sells well, and is probably Shakespeare’s
greatest play,” Kortemeier said. “For people who have never seen the play, this is the best way to
introduce yourself to Shakespeare, no doubt about it.”
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will show at the Clarence Brown Lab Theatre starting Friday, Feb. 20
and running through Sunday, Mar. 8. Tickets are available at knoxvilletickets.com (knoxvilletickets.com)
and are $5 for students who have opted-in.