We wouldn't like you to think it is all hockey, skiing and curling north of the border.....
Angelika likes to pack a lot into her holidays, and here is Part 1 of her survey of Theatre and Musicals In Vancouver during and after the Conclave.
Left, Shakespeare's "Anthony and Cleopatra at Bard on the Beach, 2010. Image courtesy of Tourism Vancouver
Bard on the Beach, is a professional Shakespeare Festival, presented in The Vanier Park. During the summer months (June – September) there are 2 tents set up holding 742 and 240 seats. The larger one – Mainstage – is open-ended, so that the actors perform against the background of mountains, sea and sky.
Surrounding the tents is Bard Village, a gathering place for the theater-goers to meet, eat and drink and take part in educational events. The Bard Village is open for 1 hour before the plays start.
In the Mainstage tent you can see:
Hamlet on August 10, 11, 15, 16, 20, 21. Twelfth Night on August 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18.
In the smaller tent - Douglas Campbell Studio Stage – the production Elizabeth Rex is on every day except Monday.
Elizabeth Rex by Timothy Findley. Directed by Rachel Ditor.
"I require distraction," declares Queen Elizabeth I, when she suddenly appears in a barn where Shakespeare and his acting company are lodged overnight. She’s quite serious: a former lover of hers, the Earl of Essex, is jailed in the Tower of London for treason and will die by her order at dawn. As the hour of his execution draws closer, the Queen must reconcile her responsibilities as a leader with her feelings as a woman. Charismatic actor Ned Lowenscroft, renowned for his portrayals of Shakespeare’s women, becomes the Queen’s sparring partner in Findley’s fierce examination of devotion, power and identity. The Studio Stage provides an intimate setting for this poignant study of a sovereign in love.
Check out the website for times. http://www.bardonthebeach.org
Thanks to AJ for this blog post.