William Shakespeare

wrote dozens of famous plays but "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

may be one of the most influential plays he penned. It is certainly a

favorite among actors, as the play involves a lot of action and comedy,

as well as drama, romance and dance. Offshoot Productions is looking forward

to presenting the show at Sams Auditorium beginning this Friday.

The plot of

the play focuses on people in love. Hermia and Lysander are in love but

Hermia's father wants her to marry Demetrius. Helena, Hermia's best friend,

is in love with Demetrius and, to win his affection, reveals the lovers'

plans to elope. The four enter the woods, which are ruled by Oberon and

Titania, the quarreling king and queen of the fairies, and when Puck,

a mischievous sprite, gets some magic flower juice in the eyes of the

wrong people, hilarity ensues.

"A Midsummer

Night's Dream" has been produced hundreds of times. It has been modernized,

animated, turned into a ballet and filmed as well as performed on stages

around the world. Perhaps one of the more famous elements of the show

is a play that a number of workers plan on performing at a wedding. The

cast rehearses the play in the woods, where all of the craziness is occurring.

The play is a parody of Romeo and Juliet's balcony scene and is Shakespeare's

humorous take on his own work.

Offshoot Productions'

"A Midsummer Night's Dream," boasts a cast of professional actors

from the metro Atlanta area augmented by Offshoot's summer apprentices.

In addition to Offshoot's cast, the production features guest appearances

"The wood

outside Athens becomes a playground for the young lovers and the fairies,"

says Offshoot artistic director Susan M. Steadman, Ph.D., who is staging

the work. "Ladders and ramps make possible some intriguing movement."

The show is full of music, dancing and hand-to-hand combat.

William Shakespeare's

comic gem runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets,

which are $12 general admission and $8 for full-time students and senior

citizens, are available at the Peachtree City Library, 201 Willowbend

Road, 770-631-2520; the Fayette County Library, 1821 Heritage Parkway,

Fayetteville, 770-461-8841; and Gold's Gym, 1962 Hwy. 54 (near Publix),

770-487-4273. Tickets will also be sold at the door. Sams Auditorium is

located at 205 LaFayette Avenue in Fayetteville.

For group sales,

directions, or additional information, call 770-631-2362 or e-mail to

[email protected]. To learn more about Offshoot Productions, visit Offshoot's

web site, www.offshootproductions.org .

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