Upper School theatre students at Bay Ridge Preparatory School worked throughout the fall semester with co-directors Patti Veconi and Cait Hynes to realize the premier production of “The Forgeries of Jealousy.” Performances included invited guests from Grades 5-8 for two matinee shows and evening performances filled with family, friends and the extended school community.

The Forgeries of Jealousy is a new play written and directed by Patti Veconi as a companion to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The story re-imagines what all the sprites of the fairy kingdom might (really) have been up to in the woods surrounding Athens in the days leading up to the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. With their king and queen locked in a marital dispute that has kept the sprites who serve Titania and Oberon apart for nearly two years, the fairies and elves have only a small window of time to rekindle old flames and encourage new ones while working together to restore peace in their kingdom.

In an ensemble play there is no single protagonist, but rather a group of characters face the obstacle in the story together, while individual character challenges emerge to give the story more complexity. The real-life analogies revealed within this light-hearted visit outside of Athens prompted many conversations and because this was a premier production, the questioning and analysis from members of the cast and crew informed the work throughout its development. As co-director, Cait Hynes provided significant dramaturgical input and the final script we all heard was much stronger because of these ensemble efforts.