Ian Gould

The State of Shakespeare

Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 4, Scene 1 BottomJanuary 27, 2023 What does it mean to be “smartly stupid,” and how might this approach help an actor reveal delightfully unexpected moments in well-worn texts? Ian Gould credits his training at the Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy in Washington DC for this technique, which he demonstrates in his fresh take on “Bottom’s Dream” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Click here to follow along with the text. Click here for a First Folio version of the text. Watch Ian Gould perform Bottom's Monologue from the interview!