William Shakespeare's a Midsummer Night's Dream

A splendid cast brings this enchanting new version of Shakespeare’s most magical play to life, headed by Michelle Pfeiffer as the fairy Queen and Kevin Kline as Bottom, her unlikely lover. Rupert Everett is the jealous Oberon, Stanley Tucci is his lieutenant Puck, David Strathairn is Duke Theseus and French star Sophie Marceau is Theseus’ hesitant bride, Hippolyta. Calista Flockhart plays Helena, obstinately pursuing the object of her affections, Demetrius, played by Christian Bale. Entangled with them in Puck’s web are Dominic West and Anna Friel. Seconding Bottom in his theatrical effusions are Tony Award-winner Roger Rees as the troupe’s writer/director Peter Quince; Sam Rockwell, in the double role of Flute and “Thisbe”; Broadway mime and performance artist Bill Irwin as Snout; Max Wright as Starveling; and Gregory Jbara as Snug. Director Michael Hoffman has transposed Shakespeare’s most popular play to the golden sunlight and green terraces of northern Italy near the end of the nineteenth century, where it was shot on location by cinematographer Oliver Stapleton. In addition to British film composer Simon Boswell’s score, "William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream" makes use of Felix Mendelssohn’s immortal music for the play, as well as swatches of Puccini and Verdi, to express the characters’ romantic longings.