Each year, Bard on the Beach engages hundreds of incredible artists, technicians, volunteers, and administrators, who work on-stage and behind the scenes to make our Festival possible. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing back our Bard Debut Series, which highlights some of the members of our Bard community joining us for their first Season this summer.
We’re excited to be starting off the series with an introduction to our talented Acting Company. In today’s Bard Blog post, meet some of the artists who have made their debuts under the tents this summer!
Marcus Youssef
Twelfth Night: Sir Toby Belch
Hamlet: Ghost and Understudy for Polonius
What has your first Bard experience been like so far?
It’s been all-encompassing. I’m more of a writer/creator who appears in my own work and I haven’t spoken Shakespeare on stage since I graduated from the National Theatre School in… 1992 (!). In some ways I’ve just been trying to learn from the terrific actors I’m working with. I speak about my experience of performing Shakespeare for the first time in 30+ years—and the physicality of the language—as part of a column I did for CBC Radio, which folks can listen to here.
When you aren’t performing on one of our stages, what do you like to do in the summer?
Well, I’m a beach guy, so it’s a great job for that. I swim before every show and spend all my two show day dinner breaks at the beach, often having meetings (no one seems to say no to a beach meeting!) or spending some much-needed hang time with my partner Amanda. A few weeks ago, on my day off, we borrowed our pal Patrick’s kayak/gear and paddled 13km up Indian Arm and wilderness camped in Say Nuth Khaw Yum Provincial Park. The next morning we paddled back and I did a show that night 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
Marcus and his partner Amanda out for a day of kayaking.
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Leslie Dos Remedios
The Comedy of Errors: Understudy for Adriana, Luciana, 1st Merchant, Citizen, and Nun
Measure for Measure: Mariana, Escalus, Francisca
What has your first Bard experience been like so far?
My first experience as an actor at Bard has been so fun and artistically fulfilling! I love the creative challenge of the work and the words, but also, the community building with our company is always something I look forward to in any project. I’m in love with every person in our ensemble!
When you aren’t performing on one of our stages, what do you like to do in the summer?
When I’m not at Bard, I’m probably either with my daughter, family and friends; baking summer treats; or in meetings for a dozen other personal and professional projects I have on the go! One of my year-round gigs is with Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct), dramaturging in their Playwrights’ Creation Lab—I hope my work there and my own work as an actor and director will continue to uplift new, emerging Asian Canadian voices in theatre.
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Emma Houghton
The Comedy of Errors: Ensemble and Understudy for Dromio of Ephesus, Dromio of Syracuse, Courtesan, 2nd Merchant, Citizen, and Nun
Measure for Measure: Understudy for Julietta, Provost, Elbow, and Nun
What has your first Bard experience been like so far?
Bard has been a completely unique experience so far for me. I’ve loved learning the ins and outs of understudying for two different shows; it’s unlike anything I’ve done before and I’m happy to add this new skill to my toolkit! It’s such a gift to work with the wonderful creative teams on both shows—it’s a very warm theatrical family and I’m so happy to be a part of it.
I’m also loving the length of the contract—not only for the job assurance (yay!) but also for the ability to deepen and grow my relationships with both casts.
When you aren’t performing on one of our stages, what do you like to do in the summer?
I love to bike around Vancouver and take my dog Cricket to the off-leash dog park! It’s our first summer with her, so it’s a real delight to spend time socializing her with other pups! My husband and I like to go sport climbing indoors but especially outdoors in the summer months with our climbing friends. And swimming, of course! I’m from Alberta so being on the shores of the Salish Sea is an absolute dream.
Emma and her dog Cricket.
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Ivy Charles
Twelfth Night: Antonia
Hamlet: Guildenstern, Paparazzi, Ensemble
What has your first Bard experience been like so far?
It has been such a pleasure to be a part of the Bard Company this season. I am always extremely appreciative to get to rehearse, make mistakes, and play. In Bard’s 33rd season I was honoured to understudy three characters in Harlem Duet so this is my first time getting to build characters of my own and getting to spend a lot of time at the tents! My experience has been challenging, beautiful, and rewarding.
When you aren’t performing on one of our stages, what do you like to do in the summer?
This summer I have spent a lot of my downtime reading. Other than that, I love to see the sun and my loved ones as much as possible. On a typical non-show day (if I’m not catching up on my emails) you can find me on a patio or lying down with my headphones on.
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Evelyn Chew
Twelfth Night: Maria
Hamlet: Ensemble, Paparazzi, Servant, Agent, and Understudy for Guildenstern, Paparazzi, Gravedigger, Marcellus, Agent, Lord
What has your first Bard experience been like so far?
Last year, I apprenticed under Alison Matthews and Dean Paul Gibson as they coached the actors for the Season. I loved watching them passionately care for the artists and strive for clarity in the work. This year, I’m moved by the many teams of people I see. It takes a lot of organization and teamwork to make the entire Festival work. My favourite moments have been connecting with audience members. I love watching them enjoy themselves.
When you aren’t performing on one of our stages, what do you like to do in the summer?
I like to spend time in nature, travel, and connect with loved ones. I find ways to take care of my health and nurture my spirit. I like to stay fresh and learn new things. It’s not long before I’m looking or prepping for my next gig. I find inspiration and meaning from teaching and providing professional mentoring for performers from historically marginalized artistic communities.
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Jennifer Clement
Hamlet: Gertrude
What has your first Bard experience been like so far?
It has been an exceptional first Bard adventure—to be one of the more “mature” actors in the Company and to be a “newbie” is truly eye-opening! I have felt welcomed at every level, starting with the extraordinary mega production team who create the Bard Village. To see it all come together—building crew, trucks, and construction happening at the same time as we tech Hamlet—with all the actors, designers and stage management team bundled up in the tent rehearsing, surrounded by rain and mud, and speaking Shakespeare’s amazing words is resonant and challenging. It truly takes a village—and really made me aware of how special Bard in the Beach is in our city of Vancouver. We started with a very moving cedar brushing ceremony at Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park, and understanding the deep storytelling history of this sacred place has only deepened the sense of honour it is to be part of this. Each performance, I look out before entering from the stage left vom and see a huge eagle in the tree over the water, with the city skyline glowing beyond, and then walk onto the stage where the warmest audiences listen to Hamlet. Magical!
When you aren’t performing on one of our stages, what do you like to do in the summer?
Time with family and friends—eating outside, a few short road trips to the mountains, visiting local farms, and riding my bike top my list. I also teach acting at VFS, so I enjoy getting into the classroom to play there. And getting to watch the other Bard shows—Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors, and Measure for Measure—has been so fun. I’m inspired by the talents that make up the Bard Company.
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Christine Quintana
Twelfth Night: Madame Mystique and Understudy for Maria, Olivia, and Malvolia
Hamlet: Osric, Player 3, Ensemble, and Understudy for Ophelia
What has your first Bard experience been like so far?
It’s been a thrill, it’s been exhausting, I’ve learned so much and I’ve had a wonderful time. This is my first time working in rep and also my first time formally understudying, so it’s been a blur learning six different tracks across the two shows. This cast, wardrobe team, tech team, and stage management team is a dream and so every day has lots of laughs, emotional support, and fun.
When you aren’t performing on one of our stages, what do you like to do in the summer?
I am also a playwright, and so I’ve been working hard at home (and sometimes backstage in my downtime!) on the script for the East Van Panto (which I’m co-writing with Measure for Measure director Jiv Parasram, and collaborating on with Twelfth Night composer Veda Hille), and on a new commission for the Manhattan Theatre Club. I find performing and writing complement each other so well—both use different creative muscles and different parts of my heart and brain, so it’s easy to stay inspired (and hard to get enough sleep).
Christine doing research for her script while backstage.
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Tess Degenstein
The Comedy of Errors: Duke, Dr. Pinch, Luce (Nell), Citizen, Nun
Measure for Measure: Julietta, Provost, Elbow, Nun
What has your first Bard experience been like so far?
I’ve been really struck by the experience of combining this language, which is not only so heightened and challenging, but is also so deeply ingrained in a larger shared cultural knowledge, with the outdoors! It’s a really heady and blissful combination, and I feel so lucky to be here experiencing it with so many incredible artists, audiences, and volunteers. I love the Bard volunteers!!
When you aren’t performing on one of our stages, what do you like to do in the summer?
I’m glued to my bike pretty much all year long, but especially in the summer. Also having just moved from Toronto, I still can’t believe I live by the ocean, and in order to remind myself, I like to jump into it as frequently as possible. Very pinch me behaviour!!
Huge thanks to our Acting Company for chatting with us! It’s been a privilege to witness their incredible artistry this Season.
If you haven’t already, be sure to see these talented performers on stage this summer! Bard on the Beach’s 35th Season runs to September 21—get your tickets now by visiting our Season Schedule.
August 9, 7:20 am
Wonderful to meet the new members of the Bard family and to see their enthusiasm and appreciation for the experiences they are having. Great to see them in stage and learn what they do when they are NOT on it. Stars and human.