REFLECTION OF THE NATIONAL PLAYERS RENDITION OF SHAKESPEARE’S MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM I thought the play was amazing and fun. To see a live play in person was a wonderful experience. Considering that we are at a prison and most of the things that go on around here day-to-day are routine, it was good to have a nice laugh and see something different. For almost two hours I imagined myself in an auditorium and escaped my physical limitations. The play itself was educational. Shakespeare was a great poet. To see how relevant and powerful words were then and how much power is still in them four hundred years later is a testament to the quality of his work. Literature and poetry are part of education and history and it is good to have a glimpse to see how people entertained themselves back then. I like how it seems that a lot of the old poetry is coming back around like Shakespeare, and Hamilton, combining the new age with music and hip-hop because I can relate to that a little more with the added adaptation of two genres. As an African American coming from the inner city, I wasn’t exposed to this style of art growing up, so I really enjoyed the performance. To later learn that these actors are a self-sufficient “stage on wheels” gave me greater appreciation for them. They drive around the country to different venues performing for mixed audiences. They also set up and tear down their own stage scenery which only adds to their physical talents as well as their mental abilities, 4 P.M. COUNT
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