Post Valentine with Shakespeare

After talking about trips we wanted to take, animes we watched and missed during college, tennis, service management, Emily Owens and baking cream puff and how complicated macarons are made (and scheduling the much awaited overnight baking session at Mi’s kitchen), we finally arrived at the CCP Theater. We grabbed something to eat and got to the theater just before the show started. ^__^

I have never read Shakespeare’s work nor did I have any idea about A Midsumer Night’s Dream when we bought the tickets to the show. Okay, maybe a little because of a movie I watched (or re-watched) but I don’t know how much of the movie I watched was loyal to Shakespeare’s work. All I know is that there is a flower that could make you fall in love with the first person you see. And… that’s it. Hahaha.

I found out that it was much easier to understand old English if you watch the movie and read the book at the same time. At least that was Mi said, and I’m taking her word for it. I’m downloading the movie as I write (plus other of Shakespeare’s work).

The 43rd season of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is performed by Ballet Philippines at the CCP Main Theater from Feb15-17, 2013.

For some reason, our tickets were upgraded and we got lower balcony seats. Yay!

Before the show started, Mi briefed us about the story, and explained each character as they gracefully come out the stage. I didn’t catch the names of the characters during the briefing but as the each of them materialized from the stage, I got to know them.

It may not be much help but here’s what I understood from the show (names were provided by Mi): The king (Oberon) and queen (Titania) of the faeries had a fight and Oberon told Puck (his assistant who doesn’t have a single bone in his body) to find the magical flower and make Titania fall in love with a human to disgrace her.

In the human world, Hermia and Lysander is in love with each other and wanted to get married but Demetruis was also captured by the beautiful Hermia. Helena, Hermia’s friend (or is that sister?) is in love with Demetruis. Hermia and Lysander danced with grace while Demetruis ignores Helena as she literally threw herself  at him. Poor Helena. She wasn’t as graceful as Hermia since she had to slump and follow Demetruis around. She looked cute and funny doing everything in her power to make Demetruis notice her.

Oberon takes pity on Helena and commands Puck to use the flower’s powers to make Demetruis love Helena. Puck got confused and used the flower on Lysander who Demetruis Helena stumbled into making him fall for her while Hermia is sound asleep. When Hermia wakes up, she sees Lysander gone crazy over Helena. She tries to get her boyfriend back but the magical flower is way more powerful than her. Cat fight!

Puck slithers into the stage to find another human being and used his powers to make him act like a donkey and used the flower on Titania. The queen of the faeries falls in love with a donkey-like man. Ha! The queen with a donkey man.

Puck realizes something went wrong and used the flower on Demetruis making him fall for Helena, who faints adorably when Demetruis hugged her. Hahaha! Oberon finds the chaos among the four humans and reprimands Puck. Puck makes the humans sleep, arranging them with their respective partners and using the flower on the men. Lysander wakes up and looks at Hermia who is still mad at him for going after Helena. He apologizes and Hermia took him back. Demetruis wakes up still in love with Helena. Yay! Good for you!

The lovers got married and Oberon lifts the love spell on Titania. She leaves the donkey man and returns with her husband to their kingdom. Puck removes the spell on the man, returning him to his old self.

The End.

The ballet dancers come out for the final bow. It was disappointing not to see Puck to come out last. He deserves that final bow. He was so graceful and we don’t know how he does all that slithering and sliding on the stage. He was so fun to watch. So full of energy.

Another first for me is to see the performers after the show. They came out the theater after us and stood on the stairs for the audience to take pictures. Oberon and the main casts sat down to sign the programs bought. I love how Puck jumps around the audience gathering around the stairs to take their picture with him. Still so much energy even outside the stage! It was weird seeing their faces up close though. All the glittering make up! And they don’t look like what I expected but they were all lovely to look at.

Definitely watching the movie to help me understand the story better.

You still have one more day to catch them. Go see Puck dance, jump and crawl around the stage. He radiates so much energy. I love it! You’ll love him too, I promise!