Dartmouth Players presents William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a 1980s twist at the St. James Church Hall in Dartmouth from November 17 to December 3.

“When I direct a play, I always start by thinking about what I want the audience to feel. For this show, it’s joy,” says director Tamara Smith. “We’ve all kind of been through the wringer over the past few years, and theatre can be the best kind of escape. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is perfect for that; it’s full of fairy magic, ridiculous misunderstandings, butt-related puns, and love.”

Leaning into the silliness, Smith has set the production in the 1980s.

“We’ve leaned into the silliness for this production, and by setting it in the 1980s, we’ve been able to layer in some really fun music, funky costumes, and a touch of nostalgia,” she continues.

One of Shakespeare’s most popular and widely performed comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream tells the story of four young lovers, faced with the prospect of an unhappy marriage or worse, flee the court of Athens and stumble into an enchanted forest. Nearby, a group of amateur actors rehearse a play to celebrate an upcoming royal wedding. As these mere mortals cross paths with a warring fairy King and Queen, chaos reigns in the natural world. The lines between reality and illusion start to blur, and no one but mischievous Puck knows what is true and what is magic.