A white tent behind Norris University Center is not the typical venue for student theater, but Lovers and Madmen, Northwestern’s Shakespeare group, is satisfied with it.

But director Beth Wolf, a Speech junior, said, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will not be the first play at Northwestern to be put on in a tent. She said the last group to try this went bankrupt, but said she is confident that her group will not experience a similar outcome.

“My plug of the show is just that the cast is unbelievable,” Wolf said. “It’s a fun play. It’s funny, magical and beautiful.”

Wolf said the initial reason for using the tent was that there is a shortage of performance space for student theater groups — but developed into a deeper aesthetic purpose of creating the natural surroundings of the play.

“We found ourselves with a show for Fall Quarter, but not a performance space,” Wolf said. “(The tent) came out of necessity, but I think it’s better than any other space would be for this show. I mean we’re doing ‘Midsummer’ with grass under our feet.”

As for the adaptation of the play, Wolf said the time period that she chose is timeless.

“I feel like, especially in the forest portion, which is the majority of the play, the time period is universal,” Wolf said. “It hits on themes that cross all time periods.”

Wolf also said she cut some of the references that would be lost on modern audiences out of the script.

“If you read the cut script that I have and then the full script, you really aren’t missing any of the plot,” Wolf said.

Shakespeare’s tale focuses on two couples, who have relationship troubles. They stumble into a forest ruled by fairies and are subjugated to their whims. There is tragedy and comedy as lovers are crossed and double-crossed.

Speech sophomore Kat Leahy said the atmosphere brought out the whimsical world of the fairies.

“With the costumes and being in the tent and all, everything seems really magical,” said Leahy, a fairy in the play. “There has really been a lot of bonding.”

Although “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays to perform, Wolf said she had reason to do it.

“It is the first Shakespeare play I ever saw, the first one I acted in and the first one I am directing,” Wolf said. “Basically it’s just that I love the play, and I’ve been wanting to do this for over a year now.”

Wolf said she said she looks forward to the performances this weekend.

“It is my ‘dream’ come true,” Wolf said. nyou