A Midsummer Night's Dreamportrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, andHippolyta. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and agroup of six amateur actors (the mechanicals), who are controlled andmanipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest. The play is one ofShakespeare's most popular works for the stage and is widely performed acrossthe world.