A Midsummer Night’s (American) Dream
Through semiotics and representation, Ellen Lauren relates the illusion of the American Dream to the conflict between reality and dreams in her 1930s interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through the image of Puck as Charlie Chaplin.
In Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, by Stuart Hall, Hall explains that when a person sees an object, they can connect meaning to that object. They see the object, connect it to a concept in their mind, and find meaning in that concept, rather than the object itself (Hall 16). He later explains that people can communicate through shared language, in which a group of people agree that a given object (signifier), has a given meaning (signified) (Hall 18-19, 31). This production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream implements an iconic signifier that captures the conflict between reality and dreams in the 1930s brilliantly: Charlie Chaplin. Charlie Chaplin, a star of silent films in the golden age of Hollywood, signifies the American Dream. Chaplin starred in these silent films, primarily in the 1930s, just as the Great Depression ended in America. This newfound industry, first silent films, and then “talkies”, created a new American Dream for many, which resulted in Dust Bowl migration to California. The concept of the American Dream often creates conflict in America, because, for many minority groups, this concept has become an unattainable ideal in America’s current state. Chaplin created a successful icon that America adored and aspired to become as they escaped the nightmare of the Great Depression, searching for the American Dream. Puck sparks much of the major conflict within A Midsummer Night’s Dream, through transforming Bottom’s head into the head of a donkey, as well as giving the wrong person the love potion. However, Shakespeare also allows Puck to narrate the story, to an extent, and Lauren ensures that the audience can perceive his good intentions. In this production, Puck also begins the show sitting in the audience, watching the show with them. By putting him in the audience, Lauren further defines him as a guide or narrator to the audience, similar to the way Chaplin served as a guide in the 1930s (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). A Midsummer Night’s Dream parallels the idea of the American Dream in the 1930s through …show more content…
The decision of the lovers and players in A Midsummer Night’s Dream to escape their problems by going into the woods parallels America’s Dust Bowl migration to California and Hollywood after the Great Depression. Similarly, Puck explains to the audience, at the end of the play, that if they did not enjoy it, they should simply imagine it was a dream. This parallels the way that Americans escaped to the world of entertainment after the Great Depression, looking for happiness (A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
Lauren connects these two concepts visually through the costume design of Puck, as well as his physicality. Frank Cermak, who portrayed Puck, wore a Derby hat, had a mustache, and carried a cane throughout the performance. He used similar physicality to Chaplin as well, through bits with the cane, as well as the Charlie Chaplin walk. Through these strong visual choices, Lauren successfully connected the character Puck and the iconic Charlie Chaplin to explore the conflicts between dreams and reality, as well as the American Dream of the 1930s (A Midsummer Night’s
Through semiotics and representation, Ellen Lauren relates the illusion of the American Dream to the conflict between reality and dreams in her 1930s interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through the image of Puck as Charlie Chaplin.
In Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, by Stuart Hall, Hall explains that when a person sees an object, they can connect meaning to that object. They see the object, connect it to a concept in their mind, and find meaning in that concept, rather than the object itself (Hall 16). He later explains that people can communicate through shared language, in which a group of people agree that a given object (signifier), has a given meaning (signified) (Hall 18-19, 31). This production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream implements an iconic signifier that captures the conflict between reality and dreams in the 1930s brilliantly: Charlie Chaplin. Charlie Chaplin, a star of silent films in the golden age of Hollywood, signifies the American Dream. Chaplin starred in these silent films, primarily in the 1930s, just as the Great Depression ended in America. This newfound industry, first silent films, and then “talkies”, created a new American Dream for many, which resulted in Dust Bowl migration to California. The concept of the American Dream often creates conflict in America, because, for many minority groups, this concept has become an unattainable ideal in America’s current state. Chaplin created a successful icon that America adored and aspired to become as they escaped the nightmare of the Great Depression, searching for the American Dream. Puck sparks much of the major conflict within A Midsummer Night’s Dream, through transforming Bottom’s head into the head of a donkey, as well as giving the wrong person the love potion. However, Shakespeare also allows Puck to narrate the story, to an extent, and Lauren ensures that the audience can perceive his good intentions. In this production, Puck also begins the show sitting in the audience, watching the show with them. By putting him in the audience, Lauren further defines him as a guide or narrator to the audience, similar to the way Chaplin served as a guide in the 1930s (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). A Midsummer Night’s Dream parallels the idea of the American Dream in the 1930s through …show more content…
The decision of the lovers and players in A Midsummer Night’s Dream to escape their problems by going into the woods parallels America’s Dust Bowl migration to California and Hollywood after the Great Depression. Similarly, Puck explains to the audience, at the end of the play, that if they did not enjoy it, they should simply imagine it was a dream. This parallels the way that Americans escaped to the world of entertainment after the Great Depression, looking for happiness (A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
Lauren connects these two concepts visually through the costume design of Puck, as well as his physicality. Frank Cermak, who portrayed Puck, wore a Derby hat, had a mustache, and carried a cane throughout the performance. He used similar physicality to Chaplin as well, through bits with the cane, as well as the Charlie Chaplin walk. Through these strong visual choices, Lauren successfully connected the character Puck and the iconic Charlie Chaplin to explore the conflicts between dreams and reality, as well as the American Dream of the 1930s (A Midsummer Night’s