A Midsummer Night's Dream

Folger Theatre is back in person, and we are preparing to see you soon.

We are busy creating the magical world of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and building a theater from the ground up inside the soaring atrium of the National Building Museum.

Midsummer is everybody’s favorite Shakespeare play: young lovers, fairy intrigues, and the hilarious machinations of the mechanical players which will enchant us through a delightful, romantic dream.

We will bring you a wonder-filled production you’ll want to experience at least twice!

Make a plan to visit The Playhouse at the National Building Museum before the show (or make a day of it) and explore a wide variety of activities created specially to enhance your experience.

There is a life-sized immersive installation based on Joanna Robson’s pop-up book A Knavish Lad which is a part of the Folger Shakespeare Library collection.

There’s also an illustrative narration of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and costume displays and descriptions.

There are sword fighting demonstrations, scavenger hunts, guided backstage tours showing the art and mystery of stagecraft, and opportunities to get on stage and act Shakespeare’s words.

Design an Elizabethan city using found objects, build your own Shakespeare’s Globe-styled theater, learn about the intricacies of The Playhouse’s construction, and so much more.

Performance location: The National Building Museum, 401 F St NW

Read the Play | Visit Folger Shakespeare to view a detailed synopsis and read the Folger Shakespeare edition of A Midsummer Night's Dream.