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Location | Vanier Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
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Founded | 1990 |
Founded by | Christopher Gaze |
Artistic director | Christopher Gaze |
Type of play(s) | Primarily Shakespeare |
Festival date | June - September, Annually |
Website | bardonthebeach |
Bard on the Beach is Western Canada's largest professional Shakespeare festival. The theatre festival runs annually from early June through September in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The festival is produced by Bard on the Beach Theatre Society whose mandate is to provide Vancouver residents and tourists with affordable, accessible Shakespearean productions of the finest quality. In addition to the annual summer festival, the Society runs a number of year-round theatre education and training initiatives for both the artistic community and the general community at large. Bard on the Beach celebrated its 30th anniversary season in 2019.[1]
History
Bard on the Beach began as an Equity Co-op in the summer of 1990,[2] funded primarily by an Explorations Grant awarded to Artistic Director Christopher Gaze by the Canada Council for the Arts. Following his graduation from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Gaze had moved to Canada on the advice of his friend, mentor and theatre legend Douglas Campbell. After performing with a variety of theatre companies and festivals across Canada, including three seasons with the Shaw Festival, Gaze moved to Vancouver in 1983 where he performed as Richard III in the 1984 season of the now defunct Vancouver Shakespeare Festival.[3]
While in Vancouver, Gaze became acquainted with a group of actors and fellow Shakespeare lovers when he was asked to direct a production of Under Milk Wood for the 1989 Vancouver Fringe Festival. The following summer, this same group staged A Midsummer Night's Dream in a rented theatre tent in Vanier Park as the inaugural Bard on the Beach production. The company's initial four-week run drew a total of 6,000 people and signaled the need for a more formal company structure. Bard on the Beach officially registered as a not-for-profit under the Society Act of BC in December, 1990.[4]
Site
Bard is located in Vanier Park at the south end of the Burrard Street Bridge. It consists of two performance stages: the BMO Mainstage and the Howard Family Stage. There is also a group of tents known as the Bard Village which contains the box office, Bard Boutique gift shop, and concession stands. The festival grounds also contain dressing rooms, administrative offices for seasonal staff and an event Marquee along with two large picnic lawns and portable washrooms for patrons.[5]
BMO Mainstage
Bard purchased its first 500-seat saddlespan tent in 1992. By the end of the 2010 season, the Mainstage theatre tent was in need of replacement and, following the "Staging our Future" capital campaign, the Festival built a custom-designed Mainstage theatre tent. The new tent expanded the seating capacity to 742 seats and included a redesigned stage. The theatre tent also came with more comfortable seating for patrons including cup holders for drinks purchased from the concession stands. The new tent maintains an open-backed design and Bard's signature backdrop: False Creek; the Coast Mountains; and city skyline. The physical playing space within the theatre was named after the Bank of Montreal in recognition of their lead contribution to the Festival's capital campaign.
Bard on the Beach typically stages two productions in repertory on the BMO Mainstage in each season, alongside a selection of choral, symphony and opera presentations. The set presents a unique challenge and opportunity for set designers from year to year as it must incorporate elements which can be shared by both productions during season.
Howard Family Stage and the Douglas Campbell Theatre tent
The Douglas Campbell Theatre tent was added in 1999 as part of Bard's 10th anniversary season as an intimate space for the staging of Shakespeare's lesser-known works or for more modern, innovative stagings of the established canon. Beginning in 2005 with a production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, the theatre tent has also served as a space for productions of plays which, while not by Shakespeare, serve to examine the context of his work.
The theatre is named for the Canadian stage actor Douglas Campbell. Campbell was a good friend and mentor to Christopher Gaze and had either performed in, or directed, plays in Bard's earlier seasons. Campbell and his son Torquil Campbell also performed together in productions of Henry IV, Part I and Macbeth at Bard on the Beach.
This smaller theatre tent seats 240 people and its adaptable layout and seating configuration are similar to that of a black box theatre. The tent structure was replaced at the beginning of the 2013 season as part of the "Staging our Future" capital campaign.
In 2014 the playing space was named the "Howard Family Stage" in honour of Vancouver philanthropists Darlene and Paul Howard.[6]
Bard Education
In addition to operating the Festival, the Bard on the Beach Theatre Society operates a host of youth-oriented outreach programs under the umbrella of Bard Education. Collectively, the programs endeavour to inspire the community through dynamic, engaging experiences with the language, characters and plays of William Shakespeare.[7]
Bard in the Classroom
Bard in the Classroom workshops are delivered by Teaching Artists – actors, directors and other theatre practitioners trained by Bard to facilitate workshops for young people.[8] The in-class workshops can be adapted for all age groups have been delivered for students between the ages of 4 and 18. Teachers can request 90-minute sessions focusing on introductions to Shakespeare's work as a whole or focus on a specific play, scene or set of characters. Participants mix voice and language work with active theatre exercises to explore Shakespeare's work in a performance context.
Professional Development
Unlike Bard Education's other programs, Bard's Professional Development workshops are open to educators of all grades, subjects, and levels of experience from across British Columbia.[9] Like Bard in the Classroom, Bard's Professional Development workshops focus on introducing participants to Shakespeare through active theatre exercises however, the program is more focused on teacher training than those programs oriented for students and youth.
Young Shakespeareans Workshops
The Young Shakespeareans Workshop program has been offered each season on the grounds of Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival for youth aged 8 through 18 since 1993.[10] The program runs between 15 and 17 two-week sessions for "Juniors" aged 8 to 13 and "Seniors" aged 13 to 18. There is also a one-week intensive theatre training program offered for youth aged 15 through 18.
As of the 2014 season, Young Shakespeareans Workshops Teaching Artists are also assisted by participants in the Riotous Youth apprenticeship program.
Riotous Youth
Conceived as a kind of "graduate" counterpart to the Young Shakespeareans Workshops, the Riotous Youth theatre apprenticeship program was launched in 2014 to provide an opportunity to bridge the learning of young theatre enthusiasts who had aged out of the workshop program. Participants aged 19 through 24 take an active role in assisting Young Shakespeareans Workshops Teaching Artists, deliver pre-show introductory talks to the audience and work with a veteran Bard company actor to prepare a final presentation at the end of the season.[11] The Riotous Youth also participate in a variety of other programs throughout the Bard season including the Bard-B-Q & Fireworks and off-site presentations.
Other events
In addition to the four plays, there are a number of events throughout the summer:
Productions
1990 – 1999
1990[12]
1991[12]
1992[12]
1993[12]
1994[12]
1995[12]
1996[12]
1997[12]
1998[12]
1999[12]
Bard Peak Performances (1995–1998)
From 1995 to 1998, bard added a short series of Peak Performances to the Festival's season. A selection of weekend matinee performances were presented at the peak of Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver.
2000 – 2009
2000[12]
2001[12]
2002[12]
2003[12]
- The Comedy of Errors
- The Merchant of Venice
- Pericles, Prince of Tyre
- Shylock by Mark Leiren-Young
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bard in the Vineyard)
- Christopher Gaze directed a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream which ran from July 31 to August 31, 2003 at the Mission Hill Family Estate. While the production was successful in reaching new audiences in the Okanagan Valley, the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire had an adverse effect on attendance. In some cases, performances of the production were interrupted as regional evacuation notices were read from the stage.[13]
2004[12]
2005[12]
2006[12]
2007[12]
2008[12]
2010 – 2019
- Antony and Cleopatra
- Falstaff (a combination of Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, adapted by Errol Durbach)
- Henry V
- Much Ado About Nothing
- As You Like It
- The Merchant of Venice
- Henry VI: The Wars of the Roses (a combination of Henry VI Parts 1, 2, and 3, adapted by Christopher Weddell)
- Richard III
- Hamlet[23][24][25]
- Twelfth Night[26][27]
- Measure for Measure[28][29]
- Elizabeth Rex by Timothy Findley[30][31][32]
- The Comedy of Errors[41]
- King Lear[42]
- Love's Labour's Lost[43]
- World Premiere of Shakespeare's Rebel by Chris Humphreys[44]
- The Merry Wives of Windsor[50][51][52][53][54][55]
- Romeo and Juliet[56][57]
- Othello[58][59]
- Pericles[60][61]
- Much Ado About Nothing
- The Winter's Tale
- The Merchant of Venice
- Shylock by Mark Leiren-Young
- The Two Gentlemen of Verona
2019 (30th Season)[12][69][70][71]
2020 – present
- Cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia. The planned 2020 productions were rescheduled for the 2021 season.
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (cancelled)
- Henry V (cancelled)
- Love's Labour's Lost (cancelled)
- Paradise Lost by Erin Shields (cancelled)
- No in-person presentations due to COVID-19. Digital programming and events offered online.
- Done/Undone by Kate Besworth (commissioned for a digital season)
- As You Like It
- Julius Caesar
- Henry V
- Goblin:Macbeth created by Rebecca Northan with Bruce Horak
References
- ^ "About Us". Bardonthebeach.org. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- ^ St.Denis, Jen. "Christopher Gaze: The Bard sell". Business in Vancouver. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ Smith, Janet (4 June 2014). "Bard on the Beach Celebrates 25 years". Straight.com. The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
- ^ Wright, Katey; Palmer, Morgan. "Bard on the Beach". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ "Bard Village". Bard on the Beach. Retrieved Dec 15, 2019.
- ^ "About Us". Bard on the Beach. Retrieved Dec 15, 2019.
- ^ Hartman, Mary. "About Bard Education". About Bard Education. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ "Bard in the Classroom". Bard on the Beach. Retrieved Dec 15, 2019.
- ^ "Bard in the Classroom: Professional Development for School Teachers". Bard on the Beach. Retrieved Dec 15, 2019.
- ^ Stack, Mike. "2011 Young Shakespeareans Workshops video". YouTube. bardonthebeachfest. Archived from the original on 2012-06-18. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ "Riotous Youth". Bard on the Beach. Retrieved Dec 15, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai "Chronology of Performances". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
- ^ Gaze, Christopher. "Archives Interview".
- ^ Lewis, Rob (2009-03-16). "2009 Bard on the Beach tickets on sale". kitsilano.ca. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
- ^ Parry, Chris (2009-03-05). "Bard on the Beach to open with Othello, close with Richard II". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
Boasting a strong mix of heavy drama and farcical comedy, the 2009 Bard schedule opens with Othello on May 28 in the 520-seat Mainstage Tent. That production will be joined by The Comedy of Errors on June 10. All's Well that Ends Well opens in the 240-seat Douglas Campbell Studio tent on June 25, and Richard II debuts July 8.
- ^ Lynch, Dana (2011-05-26). "BARD ON THE BEACH JUNE 10 – SEPTEMBER 25, 2010". Inside Vancouver. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
Each season, Bard produces four Shakespeare plays—this summer's are Much Ado About Nothing, Anthony and Cleopatra, Falstaff (Henry IV, Parts I & II), and Henry V—as well as opera and aria collaborations with UBC's Opera Ensemble.
- ^ Lynch, Dana (2011-05-26). "BARD ON THE BEACH 2011". Inside Vancouver. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
This summer, Bard on the Beach will perform Shakespeare's crowd-pleasing comedy As You Like It, the ultra-famous Merchant of Venice ("If you prick us, do we not bleed?"), the dramatic Richard III and Henry VI: War of the Roses.
- ^ Lederman, Marsh (2011-03-02). "Bard on the Beach announces 2011 line up". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
- ^ Thomson, Stephen (2012-09-24). "Vancouver's Bard on the Beach sees attendance boost in 2012". The Georgia Straight. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
This year's productions of The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and King John drew 86,000 people in total, up 2,000 from the previous season.
- ^ Lynch, Dana (2012-05-28). "BARD ON THE BEACH 2012". Inside Vancouver. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
For 2012, the plays are the comedy The Taming of the Shrew, the ultra-famous Macbeth ("Out, damn'd spot, out!"), a cheeky version of The Merry Wives of Windsor set in 1968, and King John.
- ^ "SHAKESPEARE, SAND AND SUN IN VANCOUVER: BARD ON THE BEACH 2013 PREVIEW". Inside Vancouver. 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ "Vancouver's Bard on the Beach announces 2013 season". CBC News. 2012-09-24. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ Thomas, Colin (2013-07-02). "Bard on the Beach's Hamlet is breathtakingly fresh". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ Lederman, Marsha (2013-07-09). "A superb Hamlet for modern times on show at Bard on the Beach". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ Leiren-Young, Mark (2013-06-30). "Theatre Review: Electric Company founders deliver electrifying Hamlet". Financial Post. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ Thomas, Colin (2013-06-27). "Bard on the Beach's Twelfth Night is heavy on concept". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ Ledingham, Jo (2013-07-02). "Theatre review: Young steals show in Twelfth Night". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ Oliver, Kathleen (2013-07-12). "Measure for Measure doesn't add up to a satisfying whole". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ Ledingham, Jo (2013-07-16). "Theatre review: Measure for Measure reaches new heights thanks to double threat". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ Thomas, Colin (2013-07-15). "A strong ensemble cast buoys Bard on the Beach's Elizabeth Rex". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ Ledingham, Jo (2013-07-23). "Theatre review: Wheeler at top of her game in Elizabeth Rex". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ Lederman, Marsha (2013-07-15). "Elizabeth Rex sinks its teeth into Vancouver's Bard on the Beach". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
- ^ "Bard on the Beach Announces 25th Anniversary Season Playbill & 2013 Attendance". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2013-09-18. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "Bard 25th Anniversary Details – Tickets on Sale". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2014-03-26. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "A Midsummer Night's Dream Opens Bard on the Beach's 25th Anniversary Season". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2014-05-01. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "The Tempest Joins 25th Anniversary Season At Bard". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2014-05-16. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "EQUIVOCATION by Bill Cain opens 2014 Howard Family Stage season at Bard on the Beach". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2014-05-28. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "The Howard Family Stage welcomes CYMBELINE to the 2014 Bard on the Beach season". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2014-06-13. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "BARD ON THE BEACH ANNOUNCES RECORD-BREAKING 2014 ATTENDANCE & 2015 SEASON PLAYBILL". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2014-09-21. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "BARD ON THE BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL'S 26th SEASON IS HERE". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2015-04-07. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "THE COMEDY OF ERRORS OPENS BARD ON THE BEACH'S 26TH SEASON". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2015-05-21. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "KING LEAR JOINS THE 26TH SEASON OF BARD ON THE BEACH ON THE BMO MAINSTAGE". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2015-06-01. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST OPENS THE HOWARD FAMILY STAGE FOR BARD ON THE BEACH'S 26TH SEASON". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2015-06-01. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "WORLD PREMIERE OF SHAKESPEARE'S REBEL ON BARD ON THE BEACH'S HOWARD FAMILY STAGE". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2015-06-16. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ^ "Bard on the Beach Announces 2016 Playbill & celebrates 2015 Season Highlights". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2015-09-27. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ "BARD ON THE BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL'S 27th SEASON – TICKETS ON SALE APRIL 6". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2016-04-05. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ Smith, Janet (2016-06-01). "Bard is back on the beach with an alluring program". The Georgia Straight. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ Korstrom, Glen (2016-05-27). "Bard on the Beach launches 27th season on secure financial footing". Retrieved 2016-09-02.
Four plays are slated for this year. The Merry Wives of Windsor and Romeo and Juliet rotate at the festival's 740-seat BMO Main Stage while Othello and Pericles rotate at the 250-seat Howard Family Stage in the Douglas Campbell Theatre.
- ^ Paterson, Brian (2016-06-09). "Bard on the Beach marks a milestone". Archived from the original on 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ "THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR JOINS THE 27TH SEASON OF BARD ON THE BEACH". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2016-05-30. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ 2016 The Merry Wives of Windsor Trailer. YouTube. 2016-06-27. Archived from the original on 2018-09-18. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ Thomas, Colin (2016-06-26). "Bard on the Beach's merry wives charm audience while teasing Falstaff in an Ontario bar". The Georgia Straight. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ Thorkelson, Erika (2016-06-26). "Theatre review: The Merry Wives of Windsor gets a new life". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ Ledingham, Jo (2016-07-10). "Bard on the Beach has a hoot with Merry Wives of Windsor... Ontario". Vancouver Courier. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ D'Ambrosio, Mac (2016). "REVIEW: The Merry Wives of Windsor". showbill.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ "ROMEO AND JULIET LAUNCHES THE 27TH SEASON OF BARD ON THE BEACH". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2016-05-06. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ 2016 Romeo and Juliet Trailer. YouTube. 2016-06-13. Archived from the original on 2018-09-18. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ "OTHELLO JOINS THE 27TH SEASON OF BARD ON THE BEACH". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2016-05-30. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ 2016 Othello Trailer. YouTube. 2016-07-08. Archived from the original on 2018-09-18. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ "PERICLES JOINS THE 27TH SEASON OF BARD ON THE BEACH". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2016-06-24. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ 2016 Pericles Trailer. YouTube. 2016-07-08. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
- ^ "2017 BARD SEASON SCHEDULE" (PDF). Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
- ^ "BARD ON THE BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL MARKS 2017 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS & LOOKS AHEAD TO 2018". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
- ^ "Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival". Tourism Vancouver. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
- ^ "BARD ON THE BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS 2018 SEASON LINEUP: THE BARD MEETS THE BEATLES PLUS BOLD DRAMAS ABOUND". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
The BMO Mainstage hosts an exciting new production of As You Like It, set in Vancouver and filled with Beatles music; it alternates with a powerhouse classical production of Shakespeare's epic drama Macbeth. On the Howard Family Stage there are two innovative new productions: Shakespeare's Timon of Athens, redefined with a female-dominated cast, and a Bard-commissioned new adaptation of Lysistrata by Jennifer Wise and Lois Anderson.
- ^ Derdeyn, Stuart (2017-08-31). "Bard on the Beach announces 2018 playbill". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
- ^ Smith, Janet (2017-08-30). "As You Like It and Macbeth to headline Bard on the Beach's 2018 season". The Georgia Straight. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
- ^ Whetter, Carly (2017-10-02). "Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival Announces 2018 Season". Tourism Vancouver. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
Running from June 6 to September 22, 2018 the BMO Mainstage will host As You Like It, chalk [sic] full of Beatles songs in 1960s Vancouver, and a classic staging of Macbeth. On the Howard Family Stage female-dominated Timon of Athens and a Bard-commissioned adaptation of Lysistrata by Jennifer Wise and Lois Anderson will take the stage.
- ^
"Discover Our 2019 Season". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
The Festival's BMO Mainstage is home to The Taming of the Shrew, inspired by Bard's 2007 Wild West production, a hilarious runaway hit; it plays in repertory with the Elizabethan-era romantic comedy, Shakespeare in Love. On the Howard Family Stage there are two innovative new productions: Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well, set in India and sparked with South-Asian music and dance, and Coriolanus, a no-holds-barred political tragedy filled with resonance for our time.
- ^
"BARD ON THE BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS 2019 LINEUP: CELEBRATING THE 30TH SEASON". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
On the BMO Mainstage, it's The Taming of the Shrew, inspired by Bard's 2007 Wild Wet production, a hilarious runaway hit; it plays in repertory with the Elizabethan-era romantic comedy, Shakespeare in Love. The Howard Family Stage offers two innovative new productions: Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well, set in India and sparked with south-Asian music and dance, and Coriolanus, a no-holds-barred political tragedy filled with resonance for our time. Says Bard Artistic Director Christopher Gaze: ″Our 30th Season is designed to be a delight for patrons, old and new. We've programmed entertaining options for all, from the most loyal Shakespeare fans to those who've never experienced a play at Bard before.″
- ^
Smith, Janet (2018-09-28). "Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival reports record-breaking attendance". The Georgia Straight. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
The 2019 Bard on the Beach season will run from June 5 to September 21, with the BMO Mainstage hosting a revival of a 2007 Bard on the Beach hit, a Wild West-set The Taming of the Shrew and the romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love. The Howard Family Stage hosts All's Well That Ends Well, set in India with South Asian music and dance, and the political drama Coriolanus.
- ^
"To our Bard Family, Friends, Supporters and the Community at Large". Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 2020-04-06. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
...we made the difficult and distressing decision to cancel our 31st Season. ... For our 2021 Season, we're pleased to be able to tell you that we intend to bring you the plays we'd programmed for our 2020 Festival: they are A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V, Love's Labour's Lost, and Paradise Lost by Erin Shields.
- ^
Smith, Janet (2020-04-06). "Bard on the Beach announces cancellation of 2020 summer festival". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
Citing the risks and unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event has now decided to cancel its entire 31st season, which was to have run from June 10 to September 26. ... The 2020 lineup featured Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream in repertory with the drama Henry V, on the BMO Mainstage. The Howard Family Stage in the Douglas Campbell Theatre was to host a Jazz Age rendition of Love's Labour's Lost and Erin Shields' Paradise Lost. The fest has pledged to stage the same program in summer 2021 instead.
- ^
Lederman, Marsha (2020-04-06). "Vancouver's Bard on the Beach festival cancels 2020 season". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
Vancouver's Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival has cancelled its entire 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. ... This season, which was to begin June 10, was to feature A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V, Love's Labour's Lost, set in the jazz age, and Erin Shields's Paradise Lost, first produced by the Stratford Festival in 2018. The plan is to present those productions in 2021, with works planned for 2021 moving to 2022.
- ^
Harris, Aleesha (2020-04-07). "Bard on the Beach organizers announce season cancellation due to COVID-19". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
...due to the continuing COVID-19 closures and related industry changes, the decision was made to cancel all planned events. ... The planned lineup featured A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V, Love's Labour's Lost, and Paradise Lost. Gaze said in a video statement that the same "dynamic" lineup would be moved to the 2021 season.
- ^
Korstrom, Glen (2020-04-07). "Vancouver's Bard on the Beach cancels 31st season". Business in Vancouver. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
Western Canada's largest Shakespeare festival, Bard on the Beach, has cancelled its 2020 season, and founder and artistic director Christopher Gaze has said that the plays intended to be performed this year will instead be scheduled for 2021.
- ^
"Status Update – The 2021 Season". Bard on the Beach. 2021-04-06. Archived from the original on 2021-08-16. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
We are designing a digital 32nd Season that will offer online events and activities throughout the summer. The centrepiece will be a new full-length play, Done/Undone, written by Kate Besworth and commissioned for Bard's 2021 season.
- ^
"Bard on the Beach Rules Out In-Person 2021 Shakespeare Festival Due to Impact of COVID-19". Bard on the Beach. 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
Bard on the Beach, Western Canada's largest and longest-running Shakespeare festival, has confirmed it will not be staging a theatre season at its outdoor Festival site this summer. ... The Festival is preparing a digital 32nd Season which will offer programming and related events in online spaces and beyond. The centrepiece will be a new full-length play, Done/Undone by Kate Besworth, commissioned by Bard for the 2021 Season.
- ^
Smith, Charlie (2021-05-04). "Bard on the Beach cancels in-person performances in 2021 to safeguard community and to honour artistic quality". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
The premier Shakespeare festival in Western Canada has cancelled live performances for the second straight year, due to COVID-19. Bard on the Beach will continue with its season online, according to artistic director Christopher Gaze.
- ^ "Discover our 2022 Season". Bard on the Beach. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
- ^ Newton, Steve (2021-11-17). "Bard on the Beach unveils 2022 season, with A Midsummer Night's Dream running from June 8 to September 24". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
- ^
Rabinowitz, Chloe (2021-11-18). "Bard On The Beach Announces 33rd Season & Return To In-Person Programming". Broadway World. Archived from the original on 2021-11-27. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
Vancouver's signature summer theatre Festival will be back in Sen?"ákw/Vanier Park with a lineup that includes the all-time audience favourite A Midsummer Night's Dream on the BMO Mainstage, and Harlem Duet, by Djanet Sears, and Romeo and Juliet on the Howard Family Stage.
- ^ Derdeyn, Stuart (2022-06-03). "Bard on the Beach is back for another season of midsummer night's Shakespeare". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 2022-06-03. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
- ^ "Discover our 2023 Season". Bard on the Beach. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
- ^ Chai, Daniel (2022-09-15). "Beatlemania is coming to Bard on the Beach in 2023 as new season revealed". Daily Hive. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
- ^ Derdeyn, Stuart (2022-09-14). "Bard on the Beach announces 2023 season". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
- ^ Newton, Steve (2022-09-14). "Christopher Gaze announces the return of the Beatles to Bard on the Beach in its 2023 lineup". Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
- ^ "2024 Season Announcement". Bard on the Beach. Archived from the original on 2023-09-30. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
- ^
Usinger, Mike (2024-04-08). "Bard on the Beach announces 35th season, with highlights including "Twelfth Night" and "Hamlet"". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
Bard on the Beach has announced its 35th season, with the BMO Mainstage featuring productions of Twelfth Night and Hamlet, and the Howard Family Stage hosting The Comedy of Errors and Measure for Measure.
- ^ Chai, Daniel (2024-06-05). "Bard on the Beach kicks off 35th season of summery Shakespeare". Daily Hive. Retrieved 2024-06-12.