As has been our tradition for 6 years, the Arroyo Book Club’s December pick will be one of Shakespeare’s plays. This time around we’ll be reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream. To summarize:
In a world between life and legend, an object of desire has many forms. It was a love potion designed to make a woman love a child, but in this comedy of chaos when the potion goes astray, suddenly it's freaky Friday in the fairy forest. "A Midsummer Night's Dream": the one with the man-sized donkey. (Courtesy of PBS’ In Search of Shakespeare)
As always I will procure copies of the No Fear Shakespeare edition of the play and place them on the window ledge where book club books always go.
If you’re interested in viewing the play I proffer the following options, all found on the Library’s streaming services:
- Via Hoopla: The 1969 version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Peter Hall.
- Via Kanopy: Julie Taymor's A Midsummer Night's Dream, a filming of her staged production in 2015.
- Via Kanopy: A BBC staged production of A Midsummer Night's Dream from 1981. From a series renowned for their textual fidelity.
- Via Kanopy:The ballet version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream using Balanchine’s choreography from 2007.
Finally, and a bit differently, I will be screening Strange Magic in the Library on December 11 at 2:30. Strange Magic is an animated film with a plot that is loosely based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Once you’ve read or watched the play make plans to join us for discussion. We will be holding a hybrid meeting so you may either come in person to the library or join us virtually via Zoom. We will meet on December 17 at 3:00. If you are interested in attending via Zoom, email us at ayosco@lapl.org.
