It’s summer in Calgary and with that comes one of the city’s favourite traditions: Shakespeare on the Go!
Theatre Calgary’s long-standing Shakespeare by the Bow program is back again this year and once again hitting the road to bring a classic work by William Shakespeare to multiple parks, community associations in Calgary and surrounding areas, as well as Heritage Park.
Running July 14 to August 6, this year’s offering is a new adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Theatre Calgary Associate Artistic Director, Anna Cummer. The show will run approximately 75-minutes and is accessible for families of all ages.
One of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream follows four young lovers and a group of six amateur actors through the forest as they are influenced and manipulated by a band of feuding fairies. Audiences can expect a madcap comedy of vaudevillian proportions in this lauded chase of love, identity, and confusion.
“This fast-paced comedic offering has seven players inhabit all the characters of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream,” says Cummer. “Part of the fun will be watching an actor triumphantly complete a scene as one character only to return, completely transformed, seconds later as another character.”
“The look and feel of this year’s show is inspired by Vaudeville, the first family-friendly variety show,” adds Cummer. “Whether this is your first Shakespeare, or your fiftieth, we invite you to come and enjoy a fun, fanciful outdoor treat.”
A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be directed by Kelli Fox, whose extensive theatre career as an actor and director includes numerous seasons at the Shaw and Stratford Festivals, and theatres across Canada, including Theatre Calgary, where she was seen as Margaret Thatcher in The Audience.
Since 2012, Theatre Calgary’s Shakespeare by the Bow program gives young emerging Alberta artists help making the transition from their training into the professional theatre by working with leading Canadian artistic, creative and production teams to bring Shakespeare to life.
This year’s cast includes Stephanie Alexandre, Thalia Altura, Kathleen Faith Ballangan, Steph Bessala, Sarah Glubish, Christian Krushel, and Matthew Mooney.
In keeping with tradition, there will be no admission fee or tickets required to attend a Shakespeare on the Go performance, and onsite donations are gratefully accepted.
For the full schedule of locations and times, visit theatrecalgary.com/shakesgo.