WEB EXCLUSIVE The Student Art Workshop will perform its rendition of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on Feb. 6 and 7 over Zoom. 

This more modern version of the play will be set in the 1960s and incorporate backgrounds influenced by the UC Berkeley campus where the show is set, according to senior Anya Hilpert, who is directing the play. 

“With everything going on this year, I developed an interest in the 1960s,” Hilpert said. “I noticed a connection between the call for societal change and I knew I wanted to talk about that.”

Hilpert is utilizing work from fine arts students for the virtual sets.

“One of our wonderful tech team members Mark Smith made our backgrounds out of photos that our tech leader Mr. [Chris] Miller took,” Hilpert said. “Mark went through all the wood scenes and made it look more psychedelic, which we were going for, considering that it’s a magical land within the ’60s.”

The Student Art Workshop helps peers in different artistic disciplines collaborate to create projects in a lab facilitated by faculty, according to Theater Programs Director Margaret Hee. 

“I essentially function as a producer for all of the projects to ensure the students have the materials and collaborators they need to make their vision come to life,”  Hee said. “I also make sure that everyone feels safe and supported.”

Virtual theater goers can obtain free tickets through the school website for the Saturday 7 p.m. or Sunday 5 p.m. performances.