Jeffrey Renn refuses to delve into the scholastic aspect of famous playwright William Shakespeare, and he knows plenty, preferring to expose his audience in a modern music way at Phoenix Theatre starting next week.

Renn isnB次元官网网址檛 new to acting, directing, or reinterpreting the Bard. From Stratford to Broadway, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts alumnus has performed Shakespeare across the continent.

B次元官网网址淚 have been blessed to work with rare artistic genius when it comes to Shakespeare including the legendary Robin Phillips,B次元官网网址� he says.

The late Phillips was the artistic director who put the Stratford Festival on the map.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 a zealot for the theatre, I want to convert people under 30 to my church, my church being the theatre,B次元官网网址� Renn says. B次元官网网址淚 want to excite young people at the prospect of what it is to make art.B次元官网网址�

He found that same enthusiasm directing the cast and crew from the University of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 theatre department as they develop ShakespeareB次元官网网址檚 oldest, and funniest, of plays. The Comedy of Errors is an entangled farce of mistaken identity first told in Roman times. It tells the story of two sets of twins, separated at birth, who find themselves in the same city. As their two worlds collide, chaos ensues, resolving into a tale of family reunion, love, and self-reflection.

But Renn doesnB次元官网网址檛 just tell the story, he looked toward the youth to inspire this rendition. TodayB次元官网网址檚 youth frame themselves through phones and tablets naturally creating daily performance for family, friends and the world.

B次元官网网址淭hey are constantly making meaning of their own lives, as a performance,B次元官网网址� Renn says. B次元官网网址淟etB次元官网网址檚 look at this play thorough the lens that kids come to look at art. Our youth understand themselves as a performative thing, through their devices,B次元官网网址� he says.

Looking at the technology leading up to todayB次元官网网址檚 reality, brought him to the original music video Bohemian Rhapsody, released at a time when he was the Phoenix studentsB次元官网网址� age.

B次元官网网址淢usic videos has a culture unto itself, since Elvis to today, youth speak through the music of themselves,B次元官网网址� he says.

That led to integrating ShakespeareB次元官网网址檚 lines into music from Nina Simone to Beyonc茅, from Queen to Justin Timberlake creating a pop musical with contemporary choreography.

The wide musical coverage leads to a similar variety in choreography by Christina Penhale, of Salt Spring IslandB次元官网网址檚 exitStageLeft and a graduate of the Oak Bay-based Canadian College of Performing Arts. B次元官网网址淭his choreographer has moves too, she goes from hip hop to tap and swing dance,B次元官网网址� Renn says.

HeB次元官网网址檚 set Comedy of Errors in New Orleans to give the audience a sense of place and attitude, hopefully immediately invoking voodoo, extravagance B次元官网网址渓icence to do whatever you want to do,B次元官网网址� he says.

A mosh pit on stage and a sequence of LED dancers with lighting from rock concert to inherent theatricality.

Fourth-year student Aidan Dunsmuir fills the auditorium with energetic sound design.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think I could get three professionals to do what this young man did alone,B次元官网网址� Renn says. Dunsmuir essentially did the B次元官网网址渂ookB次元官网网址� if it were a musical, and created the soundscape while dealing with the technical aspect of how to get it to work, from hardware placemnt to mixing. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 created the whole musical and sonic world.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 a sentiment he shares with much of the instructional staff and students of the theatre program.

B次元官网网址淭he Phoenix, they run a wonderful ship,B次元官网网址� Renn says. B次元官网网址淭hey are running what is in effect a professional theatre with a student crew. I would never have imagined they could go in all the places IB次元官网网址檝e asked them to go B次元官网网址� and joyfully.B次元官网网址�

The Comedy of Errors is on stage March 13 and 14 at 8 p.m. for public previews. Evening shows are March 15 to 17 and 20 to 24 at 8 p.m. with matinees March 17 and 24 at 2 p.m. There is a preshow lecture, Friday, March 16 at 7 p.m. Tickets $16 to $26 available at the from noon to 8:30 p.m. or at 250-721-8000.