Fireside Folktales presents A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. Act 2, Scene 2.
Are we all met?
Pat.
Pat. And here's a marvelous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn break our tiring house. And we will do it in action as we will do it before the Duke.
Peter Quince.
What sayest thou, Bullybottom?
There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that, Bier Lagan? A barless fear. I believe we must leave the killing out when all is done. Not a whit. I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue. And let the prologue seem to say we will do no harm with our swords and that Pyramus is not killed. Indeed. And for the more better assurance, tell them that I, Pyramus, am not Pyramis, but Bottom the weaver. This. This will put them out of fear.
Well, we will have such a prologue, and it will be written in 8 and 6.
No, make it two more. Let it be written in 8 and 8.
Will not the ladies be afeared of the lion?
I fear it. I promise you. Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves to bring in. God shield us. A lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing, for there is not a more fearful wild fowl than your lion living. And we ought to look to it.
Therefore another prologue must tell that he is not a lion.
Nay, you must speak his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck, and he himself must speak through saying thus ought the same defect. Ladies or fair ladies, I would wish you, or I would request you, or I would entreat you not to fear, not to tremble. My life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life. No, I am no such thing. I am a man as other men are, and there indeed. Let him name his name and tell them plainly he is Snug the joiner.
Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things. That is to bring the moonlight into a chamber. For you know, Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight. Doth the moon shine that night? We play our play.
A calendar. A calendar. Look in the almanac. Find out moonshine. Find out moonshine.
Yes, it doth shine that night.
Why, then, may you leave a casement of the great chamber window where we play open, and the moon may shine.
In at the casement AY or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern and say he comes to disfigure or present the person of moonshine. Then there is another thing. We must have a wall in the great chamber. For Pyramus and Thisbe says the story, did talk through the chink of a wall. You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom?
Some man or other must present wall, and let him have some plaster or some loam or some rough cast about him to signify wall. And let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisbe whisper.
If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin. When you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake. And so, everyone according to his cue.
What hempen homespuns have we swaggering years so near the cradle? The fairy queen. What a play toward. I'll be an auditor and an actor too, perhaps, if I see cause.
Speak, Pyramus. Thisbe, stand forth.
Thisbe, the flowers of Odious. Savor's sweet Odors, odors, odors. Savor sweet. So hath my breath. My dearest Thisbe dear. But hark, a voice. Stay thou but here a while, and by and by, I will to thee appear a stranger.
Pyramus. Air played here.
Must I speak now?
I marry, must you, for you must understand. He goes but to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again.
Most radiant Pyramus. Most lily white of hue, of colour like the red rose on triumphant briar, as true as truest horse that yet would never tire. I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.
Ninus tomb, man. Why, you must not speak that part yet that you answer to Pyramid. Pyramus, you speak all your part at once, cues and all. Pyramus, enter. Your cue is past. It is never tire.
Oh, as true as truest horse that yet would never tire.
If I were fair, Thisbe, I were only thine.
Oh, monstrous. Oh, strange. We're haunted. Praymasters, flymasters, help.
I'll follow you. I'll lead you about, around, through bog, through bush, through brake, through briar. Sometime a horse I'll be sometime a hound, a hog, a headless bear, Sometime a fire and neigh a bark and grunt and roar and burn like horse, hound, hog, bare fire at every turn.
Why do they run away? This is a knavery of them to make me afeard.
Bottom, thou art changed.
What Do I see on thee?
What do you see? You see an ass head of your own, do you?
Bless thee, bottom, Bless thee. Thou art translated.
I see, see their knavery. This is to make an ass of me, to fright me if they could. But I will not stir from this place. Do what they can. I will walk up and down here, and I will sing that they shall hear. I am not afraid. The osthel cocks so black of hue with orange tawny bill the throstle with his note so true the wren with.
Little quill what angel wakes me from.
My father Flowery bed, the sparrow and the lark the plain song cuckoo gray Whose noteful many a man doth mark and dares not answer?
Nay, I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again. Mine ear is much enamoured of thy note. So is my eye enthralled to thy shape. And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me on the first of you to say, to swear, I love thee.
Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that. And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays. Oh, the more the pity. Some honest neighbors will not make them friends.
Gleek.
I can gleek upon occasion.
Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.
Not so neither. But if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own.
Out of this wood do not desire to go. Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no. I am a spirit of no common the summer still doth tend upon my state. And I do love thee. Therefore go with me. I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee. And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep. And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep. And I will purge thy mortal grossness so that thou shalt like an airy spirit go. Peace, blossom, cobweb, moth and mustard seed.
And I.
And I. And I. Where shall we go?
Be kind and courteous to this gentleman. Hop in his walks and gamble in his eyes. Feed him with apricots and dewberries, with purple grapes, green figs and mulberries. The honey bags steal from the humble bees. And for night tapers crop their waxen thighs and light them at the fiery glowworm's eyes. To have my love to bed and to arise and pluck the wings from painted butterflies to fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes. Nod to him, elves, and to him courtesies.
Hail, mortal.
Hail.
I cry your worship's mercy heartily. I beseech your worship's name?
Cobweb.
I shall desire of you more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb. If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you. Your name, honest gentleman Peaseblossom. I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir.
Mustardseed.
Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience well. That same cowardly giant, like Oxbeef, hath devoured many a gentleman in your house. I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire you of more acquaintance, good.
Master Mustard Seed, Come, wait upon him, lead him to my bower. The moon, methinks looks with a watery eye, and when she weeps, weeps every little flower, lamenting some enforced chastity. Tie up my love's tongue, bring him silently.
This episode of A Midsummer Night's Dream featured the vocal talents of Josh Rubino as Bottom Ivy Kasperich as Quince Ra's Ray Powers as Snout Anusha Battersby as Starveling Dante Majors as Snug CB Drozh as Flute Nala J. Woo as Puck Chisioke Williams as Titania Missy Roland as Peaseblossom Pandora Beatrix as Cobweb Zell Tracy as Moth Obscura as Must Mustard Seed A Midsummer Night's Dream was produced and directed by Dallas Hawthorne with the assistance of Roz Ray Powers. Cole Burkhart was the sound designer. Allie Hilton composed the music. Adam Raimonda composed the theme song. This show would not have been possible without the support of friends, family and many, many, many of our respected peers in the audio drama sphere. Thank you for listening.
SA.