Each year, the Upper Division Theatre organizes a fall production. This year they performed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare. The play was written in the 1500s but took the stage in Berkeley’s Lykes Center for the Arts from October 24-26. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is about four lovers who run away into the forest only to have a fairy cast a love spell on them that causes chaos as they pursue each other. In the end, the fairy reverses the spell and the two couples reconcile and get married. 

The play, unlike other Berkeley productions, had audience seating on the stage in a “thrust.” 

“The reason I did seating on stage,” director Chris Marshall said, “was, number one, to have a closer audience. Shakespeare is hard enough to understand 60 feet away. And number two, the actors were able to work in a completely different physical environment than they’re used to–performing in a thrust rather than proscenium staging we do for most productions.”

This year the fall play faced extra challenges due to being produced in hurricane season. There were unexpected conflicts due to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. 

“We lost between 12 and 15 hours of rehearsal,” Marshall said. But the show dates didn’t change. “It meant that we had to make some design choices in regards to what we started with. Our concept to completion had to be altered, but I was really proud of where we ended up and I don’t think anyone could tell the difference.”

The play included students from every grade in Upper Division. For some, it was their first Upper Division production. Molly Taylor ’28 said, “Everyone really got into character during rehearsals. I think the show turned out amazing and I loved Marshall’s directing choices.”