Bard on the Beach reopens with a fanciful A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of Shakespeare’s most often adapted shows, is a fitting choice for the reopening of Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach. After two years away from in-person shows due to COVID, the 33rd season shows a return to what we have all missed.

Bard on the Beach returns with A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival’s 33^rd Season returns to Sen̓ákw/Vanier Park, and begins with the all-time favourite, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs on the BMO Mainstage from June 8 to September 24, 2022, along with two plays on the Howard Family Stage. Full details on all the productions and events are at bardonthebeach.org

“It’s thrilling to open our festival with A Midsummer Night’s Dream as we return to the Park,” said Christopher Gaze, Bard on the Beach Founding Artistic Director. “Dream was the very first production for the Festival, back in 1990, and it seems fitting to have it be our signature production as we return to our beloved Bard tents after two dark summers. This joyful story is perfect for all ages; it’s full of imagination, love and laughter and I believe it will lift the spirits of everyone who sees it. And we’re creating some unusual production elements to surprise and delight our audiences!”

Shakespeare’s comic masterpiece, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, follows four young lovers and a troupe of stumbling actors into an enchanted wood, on a journey of discovery to find out who they are, whom they love, and why it matters. They enter an alternate world where the natural and supernatural have merged and elves, goblins, and talking trees guide the way. Dream is directed by veteran Bard director and actor Scott Bellis (director – The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 2017; Bottom – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2014).

Oberon, King of the Fairies (Billy Marchenski) is upset with his Queen Titania (Kate Besworth) and commands the mischievous fairy Puck (Sarah Roa) to charm her with a nectar that causes love-at-first sight. Puck arranges for Titania to become beguiled by a simple worker named Bottom (Carly Street). Meanwhile at court, Hermia (Heidi Damayo) loves Lysander (Olivia Hutt) but her father, Egeus (Joey Lespérance), insists she marry Demetrius (Christopher Allen), who in turn is loved by Hermia’s friend Helena (Emily Dallas)! – and the stage is set for confusion and chaos. The young lovers run away to the forest where Puck further entangles their affections by using the magic potion. Adding to the play’s humour are a group of hapless tradespeople – Peter Quince (Richard Newman), Starveling (Joey Lespérance), Snout (Isaac George-Hotchkiss), Flute (Munish Sharma) and Snug (Advah Soudack) – who are rehearsing a play they hope to present during the celebrations for the wedding of Duke Theseus (Ian Butcher) and the Amazon Queen, Hippolyta (Melissa Oei). Queen Titania’s fairies include Emily Bosak, Emma Mieback, Polina Olshevska, Elyza Samson, Shäolin Temrick-Young, and Anna Wang-Albini. Supporting characters are played by Genevieve Fleming, Karthik Kadam and Ashley O’Connell.

Scenery Designer Amir Ofek has created an extra-large open stage area to support the play’s dance and movement elements, with an abandoned warehouse that transforms into the magical forest – all set as usual against Vancouver’s stunning backdrop of English Bay.  Christine Reimer’s costume designs range from early-1900s industrial to the fantastical. Lighting DesignerGerald King will reinforce the magic of the forest in combination with Mishelle Cutler’s sound design. Choreographer Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg and Fight Director Jonathan Hawley Purvis add movement to support the magical world. Prop Designer Heidi Wilkinson, Creative Consultant Tasha Faye Evans and Intimacy Director Lisa Goebel round out the production team. Production Stage Manager Joanne P.B. Smith is assisted by Zoe Bellis (Assistant Stage Manager) and Sharon Wu (Apprentice Stage Manager). The Directing Apprentice for Dream is Laura McLean.

Performance details and Special Events for A Midsummer Night’s Dream are:

·        A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs Tuesdays through Sundays from June 8 to September 24 on the BMO Mainstage. Previews: June 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15; OPENS: June 16

·        Bard-B-Q & Fireworks – July 23, July 27 & July 30 – See A Midsummer Night’s Dream, then enjoy a delicious barbecue with all the fixings from Emelle’s Catering, plus pre-Fireworks entertainment. End the night with a private view of the spectacular Celebration of Light fireworks; this all-inclusive package offers outstanding Fireworks-event value.

·        Family Days / Relaxed Performances – July 17 & August 14 at 2pm – Family Day and Relaxed Performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream offer an open attitude towards audience members moving, making noise, and exiting/entering the auditorium freely. Age restrictions are also relaxed.

·        Accessible Performances: VocalEye – August 20 at 7:30 pm & August 28 at 2pm – A Midsummer Night’s Dream on both dates.

Play ticket prices (Regular Adult) include all fees & taxes and start at $27. Prices for special events, group bookings and multi-play ticket packages can be found online at bardonthebeach.org or by calling the Bard Box Office at 604-739-0559. All tickets are now on sale. Early booking is recommended for best seat selection (all seats are reserved) and because many performances sell out in advance.

Beautiful Man flips the script and makes men the objects

Governor General’s Award-winning playwright Erin Shields has created a world where women get the meaty, strong, narrative-defining roles and men are there to be viewed.

Tracy Jennissen, Ivy Charles, and Melissa Oei play the three women dissecting movies (within a movie, within a movie), with Richard Meen as the Beautiful Man. The women create an amiable environment to discuss their favourite movie, welcoming the audience into their circle immediately. The friendship was warm, the women’s excitement over the characters real, and the lust over the nameless men mocking.

Back by popular demand! Ronnie Burkett’s holiday hit Little Dickens: The Daisy Theatre returns to The Cultch this December!

The Cultch is thrilled to have world-renowned puppeteer Ronnie Burkett back at the Historic Theatre this December 4-22 with his Cultch exclusive holiday hit, Little Dicken.

Pi Theatre Turns Patriarchy Upside Down in Raucous Canadian Premiere of Taylor Mac’s Hir

In a darkly comic exploration of family dysfunction and the patriarchy, Pi Theatre presents the Canadian premiere of acclaimed American playwright Taylor Mac’s Hir from November 22–December 8, 2018, at Vancouver Civic Theatre’s Annex. The production explores the dynamics of a suburban family dealing with PTSD, identity crises, and gender politics in absurdly realistic fashion. Featuring an incredible cast of accomplished performers, Mac’s play introduces audiences to Isaac, a war veteran who returns to the suburbs to find a household in chaos. Isaac must learn to find the balance between a disabled patriarch, a liberated mother, and a newly out transgender teen in this timely and subversive work.

Akram Khan Co. presents exquisite gem of dance theatre with solo ‘Chotto Desh’

DanceHouse, in co-presentation with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs and Théâtre la Seizième, is delighted to announce the anticipated Vancouver premiere of Akram Khan Company’s award-winning solo, Chotto Desh – loosely based on Khan’s childhood raised under the stern eye of his authoritarian father, November 21-24, 2018 at 8pm at the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. Performances will be held in French on November 22, 2018 at 8pm and with ASL Interpretation on November 24 at 2pm. Revered UK choreographer Akram Khan and acclaimed children’s theatre Director Sue Buckmaster fuse kathak, storytelling, mime, and interactive animation, to create a bewitching tale of a young man’s dreams and memories growing up in Britain and Bangladesh. This charming work for adults and children ages seven and up, will address the complex relationship between parent and child, as well as timely concepts of home, identity, and belonging in our multicultural world.

Review: Backbone astounds audiences with incredible circus stunts

In Backbone, ten world-class acrobats take the stage in ever more astonishing stunts. Literally thrown back and forth—and in every direction—they toss themselves headfirst into unthinkable configurations; their bodies unimaginable building blocks as they challenge the various perceptions of what strength is, where it comes from and how it is measured.

Dumb Instrument Dance presents the premiere of Ziyian Kwan’s newest creation, Public and Private

Dumb Instrument Dance presents a new ensemble work choreographed by acclaimed Vancouver dance artist Ziyian Kwan. In this full-length piece, Kwan is joined by a team of renegade collaborators who each imbue the work with poetry and verve. Dancing to the metered urgency of live Taiko, a tribe of female-bodied artists delves into physical relationships that express vulnerability and strength. In ways both elegant and raw, Public and Private is a decidedly feminist inquiry.

This Duet We’ve Already Done (so many times) brings Montreal dance virtuoso, Frédérick Gravel back to Vancouver

The Cultch is pleased to present Frédérick Gravel’s This Duet We’ve Already Done (so many times), November 27-December 1, 2018, at the Historic Theatre.

‘VTS Channel’ Presents the Heartwarming Holiday Special Merry Kiss-mas

Join Vancouver TheatreSports™ (VTS) for seasonal mirth and merriment from Wednesday, November 21 to Monday, December 24 as the ‘VTS Channel’ presents Merry Kiss-mas – an improvised holiday comedy that parodies all the inane clichés and funny, awkward moments you would expect to see in any popular holiday TV special or film. A new holiday tradition from Vancouver TheatreSports™ Merry Kiss-mas is a celebration of these sappy, warm-hearted and cheesy (but kind of fun) movies we all love to watch during the holiday season.