Shakespeare in Canada Essay examples -- William Shakespeare

Shakespeares Dream, A Canadian RealityLove. Shakespeare has a lot to say about love, but mind you, so do The Beatles,Neil Young, and Bob Dylan. Montrals replication subject area recognizes theuniversality of the thematic concepts that appear throughout Shakespeares plays and, inthe summertime of 2004, staged a characteristic employment of A Midsummer Nights Dream*.Setting the romantic comedy in New France, Director Kevin Orr adapted the words fromthe 1600s to include music from the 1960s, French and English dialogue andAmerindian mythology. Through this productions staging, characters and setting, aswell as the unmistakable element of humour, I notice a unique theatrical experiencethat is not only representative of Shakespeare in my Canada, but Shakespeare in myQubec.I was first introduced to Repercussion Theatre during the summer of 2002 when Iattended a performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged at theVieux-Port in Old Montral (Appendix B). Even though R epercussion Theatre stagescertain shows indoors, they are revered for their Shakespeare-in-the-Park series which,during the summer months, tours the parks of Montral and the surrounding areas. Bymoving from one location and community to the next, the production adopts qualities ofthe environments that the topical anesthetic audiences are familiar with, thus personalizing the* * Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the 2004 staging of A Midsummer Nights Dream, but have foundthe production to be very accessible based on my previous exposure to the company, the availability ofarchival materials, and discussions with those who were present at performances. 2theatrical experience. In the lesson of A Midsummer Nights Dream, t... ...mmer Nights Dreamupholds the companys mandate to create theatre that is accessible and affordable and germane(predicate) to todays society (Appendix G-1). All while maintaining a clear foundation inShakespeares text, this productions stage environment, char acters and setting (in tollof language and content), and the humourous musical element embody the notions ofbilingualism, multiculturalism, and history that I associate with being a Canadian.Funded entirely by Canadian institutions and individuals (Appendix C-7), it is clear thatRepercussion Theatre is committed to keeping Shakespeares Dream alive in Canada. 6Works CitedBarratt, Amy. Fairies, fur traders and flower power. Montreal Mirror 15 July 2004.17 Jan. 2005..Sinfield, Alan. Faultlines. Berkeley U of Californation P, 1992. 10-28.