Shakespeare in Canada Essay examples -- William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Dream, A Canadian Reality Love. Shakespeare has a lot to say about love, but mind you, so do The Beatles, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan. Montrà ©al’s Repercussion Theatre recognizes the universality of the thematic concepts that appear throughout Shakespeare’s plays and, in the summer of 2004, staged a distinctive production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream*. Setting the romantic comedy in New France, Director Kevin Orr adapted the words from the 1600’s to include music from the 1960’s, French and English dialogue and Amerindian mythology. Through this production’s staging, characters and setting, as well as the unmistakable element of humour, I discovered a unique theatrical experience that is not only representative of Shakespeare in my Canada, but Shakespeare in my Quà ©bec. I was first introduced to Repercussion Theatre during the summer of 2002 when I attended a performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged at the Vieux-Port in Old Montrà ©al (Appendix B). Even though Repercussion Theatre stages certain shows indoors, they are revered for their Shakespeare-in-the-Park series which, during the summer months, tours the parks of Montrà ©al and the surrounding areas. By moving from one location and community to the next, the production adopts qualities of the environments that the local audiences are familiar with, thus personalizing the * * Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the 2004 staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but have found the production to be very accessible based on my previous exposure to the company, the availability of archival materials, and discussions with those who were present at performances. 2 theatrical experience. In the case of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, t... ...mmer Night’s Dream upholds the company’s mandate to create theatre that is accessible and affordable and relevant to today’s society (Appendix G-1). All while maintaining a clear foundation in Shakespeare’s text, this production’s stage environment, characters and setting (in terms of language and content), and the humourous musical element embody the notions of bilingualism, multiculturalism, and history that I associate with being a Canadian. Funded entirely by Canadian institutions and individuals (Appendix C-7), it is clear that Repercussion Theatre is committed to keeping Shakespeare’s Dream alive in Canada. 6 Works Cited Barratt, Amy. â€Å"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.