Tagged Shakespeare

This year marks my 10th season with Bard on the Beach education programs. I did my first Young Shakespeareans Workshop in 2005 when I was 12, taught by Andrew Wheeler. We performed Romeo and Juliet and I played the Nurse. I participated in 10 workshops over the next six years, until I aged out of the program.

The September long weekend has passed, but at Bard on the Beach, we’re still going strong. If you’ve missed some of our plays, or want to revisit a favourite, now is the time to act. The clock is ticking towards our last performances…

Here are three reasons why September is perfect for a trip to Bard:

1. Our four plays have been maturing all summer and are now at their peak – and even if you’ve seen them once, now is the time to come and savour them again!

   Read More about Top 3 Reasons for Bard in September!…

Ben Elliott is a man of many talents. Not only has he acted with us for five seasons, but once again, he has taken on the role of Musical Director – this time for Daryl Cloran’s adaptation of Love’s Labour’s Lost.

If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, you won’t want to miss this season’s production of King Lear. As a co-production with Theatre Calgary, the Company is comprised of the best of the best from Vancouver, Calgary and beyond. While you’ll likely recognize Bard favourites such as Colleen Wheeler and Jennifer Lines, there are some new faces on the BMO Mainstage, including Nathan Schmidt.

This season we’re lucky to have a fantastic Company of actors, both returning and new. Bard is a unique experience for any actor, as both casts perform two shows at the same time – not to mention it all happens to be outside in a tent!

William Shakespeare would have been 451 this year, which is cause enough for celebration. We wouldn’t be who we are without him, so his birthday is an occasion we dearly love! We’ll be celebrating at the Fairmont Pacific Rim at Bill’s Birthday Breakfast, kicking off the season with Bard on the Beach supporters. Stage your own celebration with some of our favourite ways to mark Shakespeare’s birthday.

Excitement flooded the theatre community today when Bard on the Beach unveiled its plans to construct a new stage in the Burrard Inlet. Now in its 26th year, the Shakespeare Festival has become an iconic summer tradition, bringing in a record 100,000 patrons over its 2014 season. Rising attendance has indicated a need for expansion but the site, bounded by water on two sides, is limited by its geographical location.

“At first we joked about it,” laughs Artistic Director Christopher Gaze. “We’d say the only place to expand was to go into the water – literally!”

Shakespeare’s plays can be seen performed around the world, and there are so many different interpretations of his work – that’s part of what makes his plays so enjoyable! At Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival we’ve been known to have some new interpretations of our own, and this season, Scott Bellis will be directing a reimagining* of his successful production of The Comedy of Errors done in steampunk style. What is steampunk, you ask?

With Valentine’s Day approaching, we’re starting to feel the love in the air (and we may have already indulged in the chocolate that comes along with it). This rainy weather has us daydreaming about the summer months and the thrill of a new season at Bard on the Beach. From experience, we know that a trip to a tent in the park can be the perfect opportunity for romance.

Here are eight reasons to bring that special someone to Bard…

Even though the festival runs during the summer months, the preparation for a season begins as soon as one ends. Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival admin staff are on duty year round, piecing together every part of what makes an enjoyable summer for our patrons, new and experienced!