A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedic play by william shakespeare that was likely first written and performed around 1600. the first certifiably recorded performance took place in 1604. set in the greek city-state of athens, the play centers on an impending marriage. before the wedding, the characters find themselves in a forest where a group of fairies manipulates and tricks them. this play is one of the most popular and most performed among the shakespearean plays.