A Midsummer Nights WHAT???

As mentioned in a previous blog, we purchased tickets to see Shakespeare’s A Midsummer nights Dream at the Sydney Opera House.  March rolled around faster then we all expected, and soon we were getting ready for the scheduled March 2^nd show.  I was really excited to not only see a show at this famous location, but also see this particular one as I remembergoing on a field trip to see it when I was younger, probably 4th grade.  Anyways, it was a really nice evening and we decided to walk down to Sydney Harbour.  After only a few short weeks here in Sydney, we have realized that the walk there isn’t really as far as we had originally thought.  Since Mondays are my longest day of classes, I was slightly rushed to meet the 6pm departure, but managed to make it just in time.   When we arrived at the Opera House it was the perfect time of day for a few touristy pictures as usual (I’m anticipating approximately 100 picture of the famous landmark during my stay here).  Inside the building we foundcurved ceilings, panoramic windows with a harbour view, and other intricate design elements throughout; it was as big as I imagined, very elegant and impressive.  We made our way inside the theatre, past a few of the lower sections and then up many stairs until we finally reached our row of seats…against the back wall of course.  While these nosebleeds might have disappointed some, I was pleasantly surprised with our view, as we could see the entire theater and stage

 all at once.  

This also seemed the best opportunity to take a few pictures, even though I am sure this was not allowed.  As the room darkened and the members of the orchestra filled the seats that covered the entire stage, I was confused at where the play would take place; it seemed there was no room for actors or set decorations.  After a long (very long) symphony introduction I realized this wasn’t exactly the play version of A Midsummer Nights Dream.  Instead we signed up to see actors in black costumes stand in front of the orchestra and recite the complex Shakespeare language I’ve heard before in many English classes.   I was immediately lost in the quick paced dialogue and confused by the characters hidden within the members of the orchestra.  I desperately tried to pay attention but quickly became confused, losing interest in the whole thing.  I admit I should have done some research on the characters and plot of this interesting popular Shakespeare play but at this point it was too late and I had no idea what was going on anymore.  I forced myself to stay awake though, a difficult task I might add, until intermission when I had Luke give my a brief recap of what was going on and what to expect in the next few scenes.  He pointed out some important characters and a few minor details I had missed during all of the confusion.  This was extremely helpful and made the second half MUCH easier to understand and also enjoy.  While this wasn’t what I had originally expected, I was pleasantly surprised and ended up enjoying my experience at the Sydney Opera House.  After the show we went outside for a few more night-time picture of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House – like I said before, we are getting quite good at the taking and posing for important pictures by now.  It was a beautiful night and the walk home was extremely pleasant; I am really starting to feel at home here in Sydney.  Of course, the night wouldn’t be complete without a trip to McDonalds for the infamous 30-cent soft serve ice cream cones – these have become quite popular in our short time here.  I mean you cannot really beat a dessert like this.  All in all, I would have to say the night was not what I expected but definitely interesting, an experience just like anything else here in Australia.