Shakespeare by the Bow is Shakespeare On The Go this summer in Calgary.
From July 8 till Aug. 7, the traditional Shakespeare by the Bow program will be on the road as Shakespeare On The Go!
The cast of six emerging artists will be touring a variety of Calgary and area locations to present The Merry Wives of Windsor.
“The Merry Wives of Windsor is not your typical tragic Shakespeare story,” said the play’s director and script adapter, Jane MacFarlane.
“It’s a hilarious, family-friendly show.”
According to MacFarlane, having Shakespeare On The Go is an opportunity to introduce the audience to Shakespeare and to Theatre Calgary.
Popping up in different places gives actors the chance to take the theatre to the people.
“It’s very exciting, just being able to be in a different sort of public space and bringing theatre to different folks,” said Kathleen Ballangan one of the main lead characters of the show.
“We’re bringing the theater to them, rather than them coming to us.”
According to Christopher Loach with Theatre Calgary, it also exposes actors to a touring show.
“This whole program is about training and this is training them on how to do a touring show,” said Loach.
About the play
The Merry Wives of Windsor is one of Shakespeare’s wittiest comedies. It’s a contemporary perspective of small-town life in early England.
The play is of a hilarious romantic farce about the misadventures of Falstaff as he seeks to deceive the wives of two wealthy merchants.
Learning of his deception, the wives seek revenge with the help of their husbands.
“It’s a farce. We push the boundaries on everything and it’s much broader in a sense. The characters are really larger than life,” said MacFarlane.
According to Loach, unlike a read script of Shakespeare, the language of this play is lighter. It’s fast-paced and is quite physical for the audience to enjoy.
“Don’t be scared of Shakespeare. This is very accessible, it’s a farce and it’s funny,” said Loach.
“We want to make it a good experience for people to sit and enjoy a night in the park, on the grass and/or on a lawn chair.”
Calgarians interested in attending the show, can find the Shakespeare On The Go performance schedule on the Theatre Calgary website.
