ShakespeareFest from afar

This has been a first for me; leaving a show behind to run in a city, without me.

Not to say I typically attend every performance of a show I’ve directed. Typically I’ll attend a couple times, but otherwise let them run. But somehow leaving the city, switching my brain to a new show while that team are still invested and living in the first, is. . . difficult. You are one foot in each world.

I’m so grateful to the work of my amazing team who are supporting I, Malvolio in Winnipeg. Justin’s amazing work continues to be supported and facilitated by our amazing stage manager, Leah Borchert, and two outstanding associate producers, Reba Terlson and Lizzie Knowles. Audiences are so wonderful and generous - it is heartwarming to see texts or messages from friends who are seeing it, sharing their thoughts. It is powerful work, unlike a lot of theatre experiences I’ve even had myself, so it is somewhat terrifying and feels like a bit of hubris to try to bring it to others.

There are performances remaining February 2, 3 and 5, 6, 7. Tickets are still available. This is the last show I’ll have in Winnipeg for awhile, for sure. The last one was in 2017, and before that 2015 (when I lived there…)…so at this pace it could be 2023 before I bring another. I love bringing work to my hometown, the quirky, wonderful, supporting arts community that enabled and encouraged my nonsensical experiments. That made me feel like i could challenge attending RADA, and that I could bring unique work to Toronto. I hope you all can catch one of the last performances. If you’ve already seen it, thank you. Tell a friend.

Tickets are $15, or $12 if you are a student, unemployed, artist, senior — or if you also see our host company and producing partner The Keep Theatre’s Twelfth Night (conveniently scheduled at 7:30pm nightly, so you can come straight upstairs and see our I, Malolio!). Reserve by emailing tickets@impeltheatre.com

Also, check out a zillion other bits of Shakespeare this week - I personally adored Othello, (O)Phelia, and have heard amazing things about Queen Lear is Dead. Also it HURTS that I can’t see either Hamlet that is happening.

Justin Otto as Malvolio in I, Malvolio by Tim Crouch.
Photo by Leah Borchert, audience quote from Hannah Foulger.

(O)Phelia - Saucy Gal Productions @ RMTC ShakespeareFest

Leigh-Anne Kehler seems to step up to the task each year of the Master Playwright Festival, writing a thoughtful and well researched response to the playwright’s work. This year, she seems to have topped herself again, writing a 45 minute play expanding on the experiences of the two women in Hamlet - Ophelia, and Gertrude.

There are countless interpretations of Hamlet, and although some re-think the relationship of Hamlet to the women (or at their worst, conflate the two women into one), it is rare to see the relationship between these two women explored. Enter Kehler’s (O)Phelia, which is written brilliantly in verse, and provides insight into what may have transpired between the women that allowed Gertrude to have knowledge of Ophelia’s death, while also helping us to understand the motivations of these two women, whose choices may otherwise be easy to judge. The piece is performed thoughtfully and intelligently by Kehler and Melissa Langdon, whose Ophelia is fiery yet sensitive.

I strongly recommend checking out this new work. It deserves a bigger audience, and future productions.

Othello - Beau Theatre Company @ RMTC ShakespeareFest

Beau Theatre Company share Kevin Klassen’s razor sharp adaptation of Othello, tightening the story to a cast of 6 actors, and just the essentials. Klassen plays the villainous Iago, and is almost nonchalant in his scheming, which serves to underscore the tragedy beautifully. Ray Strachan’s Othello has a wonderful range of emotions, and Olivia Raine’s Desdemona is sweet and charming. An absolute standout is Haley Vincent’s Emilia, who in a smart choice is dressed to indicate she is one of the soldiers, but still Desdemona’s lady in waiting - enabling the sense of duty Emilia feels toward Desdemona to take on a new perspective.

Staged in Dalnavert’s visitors centre, director Brenda McLean creates a thrust space, and has action taking place all over the visible space as well as behind the audience at times, giving a depth to the experience. Subtle moments of direct address keep the audience engaged and complicit, while simple choices for actor movement and stillness created tension throughout the performance.

Overall a nice adaptation with some strong performances, and well worth adding to your ShakespeareFest list!

Romeo + Juliet @ RMTC ShakespeareFest - Pocket Frock Productions

I was thrilled to kick off my ShakespeareFest adventure with a local adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, from Winnipeg collective Pocket Frock. The adaptation is described as a “hot take” on the story, it felt like an R&J for the instagram generation.

Smart edits trimmed the production down to a tight 90 minutes; the audience are lit along with the actors for the majority of the time, as the company use the small studio space to great effect. Locations are malleable, and time expands and contracts with the young lovers. Some cleverly selected and then adapted pop songs further serve to create this feeling (and are performed beautifully by the multi-talented cast).

Many casting decisions are smart here, notably Jane Burpee, whose Friar Lawrence becomes a caring grandmother type, as well as Hera Nalam who delightfully inhabits young Romeo, perfectly capturing the tempestuous and highly emotional teen. By eliminating the majority of adult characters, this production served to underscore that these are just kids, who make impetuous and seemingly irrational decisions that have huge consequences.

There were some moments that could have been even more clearly created, in particular Romeo’s first meeting of Juliet, and the ongoing beef between Tybalt and Mercutio, however on the whole this was a smart adaptation and clever production.