RUMFORD — This time of year, teachers frequently hear, “It’s too hot, can we have class outside?”

Theater arts teacher Natalie Simmons saw an opportunity. When her theater arts class begged to get out of the auditorium and into the sunlight, she listened. The change in venue caused a flurry of creativity.

Why not perform the play outside? That question led to Mountain Valley High School’s first “Shakespeare in the Park” style production. The theater arts class will perform “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” in the Senior Garden beside the school ag 6 p.m. Thursday, May 23.

Simmons said, “We’ll set up chairs outside, but we also encourage people to bring lawn chairs and blankets to be comfortable. The students are really excited about stretching their skills to make this happen outside.”

One of Shakespeare’s most commonly performed play, “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” is the story of the magical and enchanting events that can happen to lovers in the midst of the summer.

Theater arts students Jenny Gaudet, Mariah Haggan and Carita DeTellis explained the major themes in the play without giving too much away.

Gaudet said, “It’s about two couples. The girl in one couple has a father who doesn’t want them to be together so they plan to run away. Many teens can relate to this theme.”

“The theater troop is putting on a play for the wedding day,” Haggan explained the next theme. “They are the comedic relief.”

Finally, the third theme is about the fairy king and queen who are fighting. “The queen is keeping a child for another woman. The king thinks it belongs to the queen but was fathered by another man,” DeTellis said.

The students have many ideas about why people should see their performance. One is the work they have put into the production.

Sophomore Shelby Roberts said, “It was written in Old English, so it’s confusing. You have to figure it out in your head before you can learn the lines. But it’s worth it.”

“We’ve been working on this since October,” sophomore Angela O’Leary said. “We put a lot of work into it studying the scenes. This is the capstone project for the entire year. I take a lot of pride in going on stage.”

Another idea to promote the play is about its genre. Gaudet, a senior, said, “It’s a good romance — a sweet story of love that is meant to be and the trials people go through to make that happen.”

Haggan added, “It’s a great way to have a night out. Have fun and feel cultured.”