This content is sponsored by Folger Theatre.
DC’s award-winning Folger Theatre has returned to live performances just in time for summer with Shakespeare’s most magical and beloved comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This romantic and mischievous romp is now on stage inside The Playhouse of the National Building Museum’s majestic Great Hall.
This once-in-a-lifetime production, directed by Victor Malana Maog and featuring an extraordinary cast of local and national talent, is full of yearning lovers, mischievous fairies, and bumbling amateur actors colliding beneath the glowing moon in 90 minutes of sheer delight and romance.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is now on stage through August 28, 2022.
“Midsummer represents an opportunity for us all to have some respite through adventure, some magic, romance and joy,” says Folger Director of Programming and Folger Theatre Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels. “Our dynamic cast, led by our fearless leader, director Victor Malana Maog, and his creative team have carried us to new heights. Most importantly, we’ll have this unique opportunity to delight audiences, young, old and everything in between on this stage which we have created from the ground up. It’s been an incredible summer for the return of Folger Theatre!”
Tickets and information for A Midsummer Night’s Dream at www.folger.edu/theatre or by calling the Folger Box Office at (202) 544-7077. Tickets are also on sale at the National Building Museum Visitor’s Center Thursdays through Mondays from 11am – 4pm.
Please check the Folger website for a full performance schedule.
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READ THE RAVE REVIEWS:
“A whimsical and wondrous production … majestic and enchanting” – BroadwayWorld
“There is never a dull moment … a stunning and ethereal production” – MD Theatre Guide
“An evening of love, comedy, and mischievous frolicking” – The Washington Informer
“Some dreams are so beautiful you don’t want to wake up – this is one of them.
A theatrical wonderland” – DC Theater Arts
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“Magical … a cast of hilarious actors” – DCist
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR ALL AGES AT THE PLAYHOUSE
Throughout the run of Folger Theatre’s enchanting A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Playhouse at the National Building Museum offers unique and engaging programs and performances for all ages through August 28. The Folger and the National Building Museum are hosting a variety of daytime and evening events, including performances by the celebrated Frontera Project, poetry workshops, free musical performances on the Museum’s lawn, free lunchtime readings, workshops on Hip Hop and Shakespeare, artist talks, Scavenger Hunts, Shakespeare Mad Libs, behind-the-scenes Insider Tours, a staged reading of Call Me Olivia, and more.
Visitors to The Playhouse enter through A Midsummer Forest, an immersive installation based on Joanna Robson’s A Knavish Lad, a double-concertina artists’ book from the Folger collection that visually narrates every scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Brought to life by Southside Design & Building, adults and children alike are transported into the world of Midsummer, allowing them to step into the magic of Shakespeare’s beloved play.
Tony Cisek (production designer for A Midsummer Night’s Dream) directed the creation of The Playhouse, which was developed in collaboration with Jim Hunter, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Carolina and South Side Design and Building, responsible for the design and fabrication of the Midsummer Forest, an immersive installation in the Museum’s West Court.
WATCH A TIMELAPSE OF THE PLAYHOUSE FESTIVAL STAGE
The Playhouse at the National Building Museum can be explored through August 28, 2022, Thursdays–Mondays, 11am – 4pm. The Museum is located at 401 F St., NW in Washington, DC.
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Visiting The Playhouse during the day and participating in all of the hands-on activities is included with admission to the National Building Museum. Tickets to performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and other evening programs are a separate purchase.
For more information on Midsummer tickets and special programs, please visit the Folger website.
For a full listing of daytime and evening programs and events, please visit The Playhouse website.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is produced in association with the National Building Museum and the University of South Carolina.
Photos by Brittany Diliberto.