A Midsummer Night’s Dream

It’s Midsummer’s Eve, a time of great rejoicing and mischief among the fairies of the forest. Oberon, the King of the Fairies, and Queen Titania are quarreling over a changeling child. To get the child for himself, Oberon calls on Puck, a mischievous fairy who loves to play tricks on mortals.

Elsewhere in the forest, young mortal lovers Hermia and Lysander are running away to be married because Hermia’s father does not approve. He wants her to marry wealthy Demetrius who doesn’t love Hermia. Demetrius once loved Hermia’s friend Helena, but he is attracted to Hermia’s dowry and chases after her into the forest. Helena still loves Demetrius, so she also follows him into the forest. Meanwhile, a group of Rustics including Nick Bottom are preparing a play for the Duke’s coming wedding.

Oberon decides he will solve the lovers’ problems as well as his own. He sends Puck to retrieve a magic flower with nectar that makes those under its spell fall in love with the first creature they see upon awakening. He tells Puck to use the flower on both Titania to get his way and on Demetrius so he will fall back in love with Helena.

Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and puts the magic nectar in his eyes. When Lysander awakens and sees Helena running through the forest, he falls madly in love with her and forsakes Hermia.

Into this confusion come Bottom and his friends. Puck mischievously turns Bottom’s head into a donkey head, frightening off his friends and leaving him alone in the forest. At this point Titania, Queen of the Fairies, awakens after Puck has put nectar in her eyes. She sees Bottom and falls in love with him, donkey head and all.

Oberon sees what happened and sends Puck to set things right with the young lovers. With the magic nectar, Lysander again loves Hermia and Demetrius now loves Helena. Oberon is also sorry for the trick he played on Titania and squeezes the magic nectar into her eyes. When she awakes this time, she sees Oberon and declares her love for him. Puck also reverses the magic trick on Bottom, removing the donkey head.

The whole forest is enchanted by Titania and Oberon who bless the young couples, sending everyone into a future of happiness, thanks to the power of love on this magical Midsummer Night.