Jo Reed: Tell us about Bottom. Bottom’s a weaver and a would-be actor. Who else is he?

Jacob Ming-Trent: I think Bottom really wants to be a great artist, and this is his opportunity. So when we meet them, he's about to do a play for the Duke. And if he does a good job, he'll receive sixpence of day for the rest of his life. So he would be famous. He would be wealthy. And this is his opportunity. And so he takes it very seriously, and to the point where he goes too far. He-- not only does he want to play his role, he wants to play everybody else's role, but the reason why is because he wants to show his skill. He wants to show how good he is. And that, you know, one of the things they call him in the show is bully Bottom, and so that leads to him kind of bullying his fellow actors a little bit, but then a piece of magic happens to him. And when that magic happens to him it changes the way he sees the world. No longer is he the big fish in the small pond? He realizes he's a small fish in a much bigger, magical pond. And it actually is the thing that makes him a better actor. In that way, Shakespeare's brilliant because he really is teaching actors how to approach the work. That it's not about you. It's about all of us. And the more you make it about all of us the better you'll be.