Dreams continue to be one of psychology’s longest lasting mysteries. Even today scientists and psychologists have not been able to agree on one provable theory, and instead continue research, and build on some of the commonly accepted theories that past psychologists have made. (Brescia 2016)

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Dreams have been a subject of study for a long time, but have recently received more focus and increased scientific study. The issue with the study of dreams is that, unlike most psychological topics, dreams cannot be studied using firsthand observation. Researchers report that it can be particularly difficult to control the conditions of dreams for experiments; they have tried manipulating the experiments by using exposure to different stimuli before and during sleep, but even then it proves difficult to predict what someone's dream will be about. Somewhat related to this issue, there has been a more recent focus on figuring out what happens to your brain when you dream rather than what happens specifically in your dreams. Another significant issue with the science behind dreams is that we have found out that dreaming will often go unreported due to people not remembering that they had a dream; in fact, there are people who claim they do not dream often, but when tested with sleep studies, brain activity has shown that that is not the case. (Nir, Tononi 2010) In a paper, neuroscientists Yuval Nir and Giulio Tononi discuss neurophysiological reasoning and studies behind dreaming. It is relevant to note that the research behind dreams is still very rudimentary. Even under heavy experimentation, the results vary so much from person to person that it is still unclear as to why dreams are what they are, and what they truly mean. Further, several additional factors can complicate effective research on dreams, as Nir and Tononi note: 

 

[I]t is worth keeping in mind that several factors may render dream reports less trustworthy when compared to reports of waking experience, including: (a) a dramatic state change, since we report about a sleep experience when awake; (b) considerable time delay, since dream reports are obtained after the experience, possibly leading to passive forgetting and interference; (c) difficulties in verbally describing experiences that are mainly visual and emotional; and (d) censorship of embarrassing, immoral, sexual and aggressive material. (Yir, Tononi 2010) 

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How, then, might theatre relate to dreaming, this most nebulous phenomenon? Freud describes dreams as a "peculiar form of thinking" - theatre, as has been argued, also fits into this definition (Houston). Both dreams and theatre, while a fiction of sorts, have the capacity to represent and create things that are “real”. The sentiments expressed by both can be problematic and discomforting, perhaps encompassing truths that people might prefer to avoid in waking life. Theatre and dreams are both fantasy spaces; places where your biggest dream or your worst nightmare can be on display. Further, they can both leave you with such vivid emotions and memories that they might even start influencing each other; for instance, you might have dreams/nightmares about a performance you've seen, or, on the other side of things, you might create a performance based on dreams or nightmares you've had. There is also the potential of dreams and theatre to take on different forms from the "usual": dreaming is an altered state of consciousness; does it necessitate realism? Are dreams our deepest desires? Our greatest fears? Both? Neither? And, in turn, what is theatre? Is it what we want to see happen, is it what has happened, is it something we could never even dream of, or is it our worst nightmare for the world? Like in dreams, there are things in theatre that are simply not as common (or even impossible) in real life - magical experiences, supernatural happenings, otherworldly monsters, and true love.

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream leans heavily and obviously into this connection between dreams and theatre. Throughout the play, we see the fairies Oberon and Puck making people's real life experiences (while under the influence of the "love-in-idleness" flower) seem like nothing but a dream. One of the co-authors of this piece feels particularly influenced by this part of the play because of their personal connection to not remembering if things were real or just a dream. Vivid dreams can be scary and disorienting! The experiences of characters who undergo very intense moments, such as Bottom’s head being turned into a donkey, Titania loving and doting on this ass-headed version of Bottom, Lysandra and Demetrius both being in love with Helena instead of Hermia, and really just the whole unfolding of the lovers' conflict and climax, conjure a very unnerving world - particularly for people who might experience dreams as vividly as this author. It is interesting to consider how the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream would be different if Oberon did not make the drug induced plot seem like a dream. For instance, how would Titania have felt finding out her husband tried to curse her to influence her choice on raising the changeling boy instead of giving him to Oberon? Would all the lovers have stayed together as they did? Or would Helena have then continued to keep in her mind that everyone else was just playing one big mean trick on her? On that topic, as we know that the sentiments of dreams and theatre could encompass truths that people might prefer to avoid in waking life, could the idea of the whole conflict of the story being a dream actually reveal some of the characters' worst fears? For example, Helena's 'dream' (or nightmare!) includes the betrayal of her best friend Hermia, and the idea that the object of her unrequited love, Demetrius, could be so cruel as to trick her that both he and Lysandra are in love with her. For Hermia, the dream reveals that she could lose the love of her Lysandra, lose her best friend over it, and be in such distress that she would resort to threats of violence. These situations seem to represent the kinds of fears and desires that, while they might be bottled up elsewhere, can safely be explored in the realm of theatre and dreams, and as such help us all to recognize the complicated nature of love and all the unique ways that it can be imagined and realized in the world.

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In sum, the quasi-fantastical nature of theatre, highlighted in this particular instance by our performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, makes the medium a uniquely interesting way to represent Freud’s “peculiar form of thinking” with regards to dreams. Theatre serves as a space to explore, question, and celebrate the fantastical. Yet it also allows performers and audiences to consider the real from a different lens or an altered state of consciousness. Theatre can provide a critical distance from events that we are usually all too immersed in, like fish in water - both to view and analyze them, but also to expand our horizons and allow us to dream of new and better realities. In this way, the dreamlike world of theatre can provide avenues towards new understandings of the waking world that we normally live in. And if you're still not convinced? We only ask you to Dream with us.