By Alanna Levine, Staff Writer — “The course of true love never did run smooth.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of William Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, portraying the adventures of four young lovers as it deals with the universal theme of love and its complications.

This spring, the senior drama class will be performing a slightly different version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“We are doing an abridged version of the play. The language is not abridged; the play is just shortened,” drama teacher Brittany Eckstrom said. “We wanted to make it accessible and enjoyable for everyone.”

This upcoming performance will include a nontraditional seating and staging style of where the audience members will be placed in relation to the center stage.

The senior drama class is working hard to make Shakespeare fun and understandable to everybody in the audience.

“We have never done Shakespeare before in drama. This is the last thing the seniors will do, but they are very advanced,” Eckstrom said. “I wanted them to challenge themselves.”

To some, the script itself provides a challenge in being able to understand what is being stated then pass that message on to the audience in a way in which everybody would be able comprehend.

For drama students, it could be a struggle to keep the crowd interested if the audience has a difficult time understanding what is being said and what is going on throughout the duration of the performance.

“The Shakespearean language is very intricate. It’s very easy to lose the message, so it’s important to dissect the script properly to become the character,” senior cast member Emma Svatos said.

In addition to the characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there will also be those designated as narrators in the play to help explain the actions of the characters and what is going on throughout. A full cast list can be found on Eckstrom’s staff web page.

Despite the overall and ever-present challenges of tackling Shakespeare, the drama class is confident in their performance. They are enjoying their experiences and the knowledge they have gained from it.

“It’s a fun and valuable experience,” senior cast member Jesse Devine said.

There will be an evening performance of the play on April 10 at 7 p.m., as well as an in-school performance planned for the English classes.

[Updated Aug. 12, 2017: This article has been reformatted for consistency.]