The Greater Victoria Shakespeare FestivalB次元官网网址檚 upcoming season is well into rehearsal for what general manager, Candace Woodland says will be a fantastic and engaging offering for Greater Victorian fans of the Bard.
ItB次元官网网址檚 the 28th season for the Festival, and this year the GVSFB次元官网网址檚 two productions are The Tempest, considered by some as one of ShakespeareB次元官网网址檚 greatest works, and the lesser known Pericles, a play that has a far less recognized pedigree, but one that has increasingly been acknowledged by critics as having merit due to its clever use of narrative and the use of the marvelous.
B次元官网网址淲e always try to find a balance between doing the greatest hits and working with some of the lesser known plays in the canon,B次元官网网址� said Woodland.
The tale of Pericles, directed by Christopher Weddell, is that of a young prince who, having discovered the king of AntiochB次元官网网址檚 deadly secret, must flee for his life. He describes the kingB次元官网网址檚 anger with the line B次元官网网址淔ew love to hear the sins they love to act,B次元官网网址� a line as relevant to the powerful men in todayB次元官网网址檚 world as it was to the king of Antioch.
The Tempest, GVSFB次元官网网址檚 second offering and the Shakespeare directorial debut for Chelsea Haberlin, can also be said to maintain its relevance in its examination of the human soul.
Take, for example, the line B次元官网网址淢isery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 an observation that has been quoted and paraphrased countless times and remains as relevant today as it was in 1611.
Woodland stressed that the attraction of ShakespeareB次元官网网址檚 plays is that they allow audiences to explore human nature and learn about people in love, in rivalry, and in desperation.
B次元官网网址淚 think there are lots of things that keep attracting audiences to Shakespeare. There is beautiful action, engaging characters and plots that keep us totally engaged. But all of that would be nothing without ShakespeareB次元官网网址檚 profound understanding of human nature,B次元官网网址� said Woodland.
Both plays will be performed at Camosun College, Lansdowne Campus. The shows are done in repertory (so both shows are featured during the same time period) and begin on July 5.
Pericles will be performed on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (at 7:30 p.m.) from July 5 through July 31.
The Tempest will be featured on Wednesdays and Fridays (7:30 p.m.) between July 6 and July 28 and will also show at Saxe Point Park, Aug. 2 to 4.
Tickets are $26, and $21 for students and seniors 65+. Festival passes are available. Children 12 and under are free.
New this year is the Shakespeareance Card, a six-show punch-card for Shakes-Fans. The punch-card is good for six admissions all at once or throughout the season.
