Lily Webb

October 23, 2017

Theatre History
Tatom

Julie Taymor’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

https://youtu.be/qPGy3ueWqWw

I chose another Julie Taymor adaptation, this one of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights
Dream. Put on through the Theater for a New Audience, this production opened October 19,
2013. This Julie Taymor piece incorporates many elements of non-western techniques. Masks
are one of the key elements non-western theatre practice of Noh. The character of Nick Bottom
turns into a donkey for a portion of the performance, and rather than makeup, masks are utilized
for this transformation. Taylor also incorporates shadow screens in her production, which is also
an element sometimes seen in Bunraku, however usually these screens are used