Shakespeare bursts forth with openness
2016 attendance up nine per cent, organizers already planning for 2017
There were actors at large this season and that was only the start of a new spirit of openness at Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan.
Next season, the festival expands its education and outreach in new ways. There will be youth drama camps and high school visits in addition to public readings around town.
“It’s a huge part of our mandate and really important,” Will Brooks, artistic producer, said this week.
He particularly wants to build on the impact that Shakespeare has on young people.
“You can just see them, they come to a show not knowing what to expect and come out two hours later finding they love Shakespeare.”
The 2016 season featured two mainstage shows and the unique Roving Show in which the cast of The Tempest brought the audience along outside the site.
“It turned out quite fantastically. A little, quirky piece of Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan was outside the gates and wandering around,” said Brooks.
It certainly was noticed.
“Some people would skirt way around it to make sure they didn’t disturb it, other people would go barrelling right through the scene with their skateboard or bike or whatever.”
The show was also blessed with good weather. Despite rain on many other days, every performance went ahead.
Inside the tent, there was enthusiasm for A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the all-female J. Caesar.
“One of the things we really wanted to do with that one was have it be a great family event,” Brooks said of MSND. And “people were really excited about J. Caesar. The community really, really connected with it and people were over the moon to see a project like that happening.”
That enthusiasm was seen in attendance. The festival attracted 11,349 people, which is up nine per cent from last year and up four per cent over the five-year average.
“Definitely, in the economic climate we’re finding ourselves in these days, they were very strong,” Brooks said of the numbers.
Announcing next season months sooner than usual is another sign of openness. The festival will stage Richard III, last done in 2000, and Twelfth Night, last done in 2007.
Declaring the shows before choosing a guest director and before any casting or designing has been done is a way to have more voices heard in the lead-up, Brooks said.
“If you aren’t one of the people who’s part of the circle, then you never got a chance to say hey, here’s an idea or I’d love to be considered.”
Meanwhile, the bittersweet work of striking the set and folding the tents continues this week. “It’s really quite sad sometimes. I try not to watch too much of the strike because you spend so much time building everything and you have this wonderful run all summer full of life and activity,” says Brooks.
It turned out quite fantastically. A little, quirky piece of Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan was outside the gates.