William Shakespeare loved to laugh. One need look no further than to explore his gift for dramatic humor in his great comedic plays. Spend a Summer afternoon with Shakespeare at the Southington Library, 255 Main St. The next free showing is "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Friday, July 18, at 1:30 p.m., in the lower level program room. No registration needed.

In "A Midsummer Night's Dream," three plots intertwine: the entangled love affairs of Demetrius and Helena, Lysander and Hermia, the comic performance of a "play within a play" by the tradesmen of Athens and the antics in fairyland of King Oberon and Queen Titania. When the Duke of Athens tries to separate young lovers Lysander and Hermia, insisting that Hermia instead marry Demetrius, the two lovers run off together. Meanwhile, Demetrius is pursued by Helena, who wants to marry Demetrius herself. Impish fairies from the woods make things even more complicated with a herb that, when placed on someone's eyes, causes that person to fall in love with the first creature he or she sees.

The strong cast features Helen Mirren and Peter McEnery, Pippa Sward, Brian Clover and Phil Daniel. As the New York Times states "they are all accomplished performers, but the director has given the extra dimension of using them brilliantly in terms of television." Running Time: 112 minutes

August selections also shown at 1:30:

August 8 Twelfth Night

August 15 Taming of the Shrew

For more information check out our online calendar at www.southingtonlibrary.org , click on the Calendar, search for the program, or call 860-628-0947, ext. 5 the Reference/Information Desk.