HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAKESPEARE!
“When shall we meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
When the hurly-burly’s done,
When the battle’s lost and won.
That will be ere the set of sun.
Where the place?
Upon the heath.
There to meet with Macbeth.”
Act 1, Scene 1. Macbeth
Happy 457th birthday Will!
It’s a tradition at Edmonton’s Freewill Shakespeare in the Park to announce summer plans. This year is no different, but plans are.
Artistic Director David Horak, Managing Director Nikola Tonn, and the Board of Directors, will be pivoting from the event in its usual form: amphitheatre seating, drinks, snacks, and big Shakespeare cast and crew wandering in and out of audiences. Instead, they will be offering outdoor & physically distant opportunities to experience Shakespeare in true Freewill style later in the summer when, hopefully, Covid restrictions are eased .
“We are a creative group of people,” exclaims Artistic Director David Horak. “We perform Shakespeare outdoors and we intend to offer this later in the summer for everyone who is comfortable to go outside and safely enjoy some unique productions of the Bard’s work. While we’ll miss producing a large-scale festival this June, a shift to productions that feature smaller casts will still have that fun and accessible Freewill-style.”
In a nod to the changes wrought by COVID-19, we are preparing Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing: The Pandemic Variations; creatively condensed versions of last year’s scheduled productions. Whether roaming or set at predetermined locations pending AHS guideline approval, these unique, lovingly told renditions will be enjoyed by everyone from the occasional to the well-read Shakespeare fan.
We are currently planning to run outdoor programming starting in July through August of 2021.
Stay connected with Freewill Shakespeare by following through @freewillplayers to learn more about our Mid-Summer Plans.
We’re excited to present to you
Lady Macbeth and the Not Quite Dead,
A Canada-wide virtual 17-song performance we helped commission for World Theatre Day (March 27) along with other Canadian Shakespeare companies
Click HERE to view.
Freewill still produced creative work during the Covid-19 shutdown.
Showcasing what we do best - Shakespeare!
The Free Willies were created with the collaboration of Thou Art Here to travel safely to parks, porches and other outdoor venues to spread a bit of comedy, song and Bard-inspired antics all over Edmonton.
The summer was a little brighter with this company of three singer/ actors.
We also filmed two of the songs as music videos.
