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Withrow Park | Shakespeare in the Ruff

Shakespeare in the Ruff 2023 Richard III

2023 Season Announcement

By | Announcements, blog

Ruff 2023: RICHARD III

Join us under the Withrow willows this summer for Richard Three, written by William Shakespeare and Ruff’s own Patricia Allison. Richard Three marks the first time Ruff has revisited a play (we first produced a Richard III ten years ago in 2013), but we promise that this Richard will be unlike anything you’ve seen before.

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Rewriting Shakespeare…because, why not?

By | Events, original practices, Outdoor theatre, Portia's Julius Caesar, Shakespeare
Christine Horne as Portia, Concept & Design by Michael Barker

Christine Horne as Portia, Concept & Design by Michael Barker for Shakespeare in the Ruff, 2018

 

I believe that Shakespeare wrote many compelling female roles, and Portia, in Julius Caesar, is one of them. Her brief time on stage belies a rich and fascinating off-stage life that surfaces in unforgettable flashes: a self-inflicted wound to prove her metal, an a-typical devotedness between her and her husband, and the act of taking her life by ‘swallowing fire’.  Some argue that she actually swallowed hot coals…who does that?

These flashes spark my imagination, but don’t satisfy my desire to really know this woman. And Calpurnia, the only other female character in the play, is even more elusive – a part that’s as thankless as it is brief. In considering this epic moment in Roman History, when the governance of their society changed forever, I quickly began to wonder what other women might have played a role in these events, and how they were affected by the assassination of their leader.

And there was born the idea for Portia’s Julius Caesar (PJC), which is a version of the story told from a female perspective. Portia and Calpurnia are best of friends, both grappling with different stages of motherhood.  A new character, Servilia, is a key player too, maneuvering from behind the scenes, spurring on her son Brutus and her son-in-law Cassius to stop Caesar. Cleopatra, who is in Rome at the time of Caesars’s assassination, living lavishly as his Mistress, is caring for their new baby boy. Shakespeare doesn’t include her in his Caesar, clearly imagining a bigger role for her later, but come on, what a missed opportunity, Bill! Both the Soothsayer and Casca, now a Courtesan, are re-imagined as women in this version, and we also meet four Washer Women, whose stories intertwine with the fates of those who own them.

I’ve taken some liberties with historical timelines and filled in many blanks myself, as very little is known about the lives of women in that time (much to no one’s surprise). But as Shakespearean scholar, Stephen Greenblatt writes in his book, Tyrant, when it came to History, “Shakespeare felt comfortable trimming and making changes whenever it suited him…in order to produce more compelling and pointed stories.”

The plot of PJC still focuses on the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar and the inevitable fall-out, but tells it from a different perspective. In re-framing this story, I wanted to keep certain scenes from Shakespeare’s Caesar that I felt were vital – the bones of the play, so to speak, that would be fleshed out with new or borrowed writing. Those were the scenes that included the women (3 of 18 scenes), the Funeral scene (having once played Marc Antony, in an all-female production of Julius Caesar, I knew first hand the power of this writing, thank you, I’ll take that), and the tent scene between Brutus & Cassius (at least part of it…why is that scene so long?!). Others have also made the cut, been re-attributed, or scavenged for their plot points and reassigned to other characters.

Once the arch of these characters felt solid, I began imagining the scenes between them. As I wrote my own text in verse, I called upon Shakespeare’s writing to help me: long passages, single lines, and images have all been pilfered from Shakespeare’s works to enrich my own using text from 17 of his plays, 4 sonnets, and 1 poem. There’s not a ton of Shakespearean writing about getting your period, the difficulty of breast feeding, or being ‘the other woman’, but the themes of loss, isolation, and betrayal are everywhere, and were easily re-contextualized in those moments.

Now let me be clear, I’m not advocating for re-writing all of Shakespeare, but I am advocating for taking liberties, reimagining, and audaciously shaking things up. His plays don’t always reflect a world that I feel good about putting on a stage, in a public space, in Toronto, because perpetuating an archaic status quo does no one any good.

But I have to give credit where credit is due, Will’s been a great collaborator, and in the end, contributed to about half of the play. The other half is my nine month exploration of writing in iambic pentameter. It’s nowhere as complex, poetic, or inventive as Shakespeare’s, but it accomplishes what I set out to do: explore the agency of the women behind Shakespeare’s greatest political thriller and the effect of those choices on their lives. After all, if Portia – this strong, brave, and compelling character – did in fact swallow fire, then I want to go on that journey with her and discover why.

-Kaitlyn Riordan

*The link below is a scene from Portia’s Julius Caesar that shows how Shakespeare’s writing is interwoven with new text

Excerpt from Portia’s Julius Caesar

2015 Season Announcement

By | Announcements, Macbeth

Macbeth + Puppets = MacWhat??????  

Ruff’s Artistic Director, Brendan McMurtry-Howlett, explains our most adventurous production yet.

I love Macbeth. It’s one of my favourite plays to read, to speak, or to perform in (I played Malcolm under the direction of Nick Hutchinson in theatre school). The visceral imagery that Shakespeare uses in his writing is unparalleled anywhere else – it’s incredible. And now, this coming summer, I couldn’t be more excited to be directing it with Shakespeare in the Ruff. But ironically, as an audience member, I’ve often had a hard time watching it. The play asks us to watch the fall of a tyrannical, blood-thirsty, Evil-with-a-capital-E madman. I’m often unsure if I’m meant to enjoy the blood bath as I would in a horror flick or be disgusted by the tyrant’s inhumanity. In either case the result is that I disassociate with Macbeth’s character, and lose the point of the play. So what are we going to do differently? ENTER THE PUPPETS!

My first introduction to puppetry was 8 years ago, by a great man named Zach Fraser who directed me in a show about WWII called “…and stockings for the ladies” by the ever inventive RustWerk Company. One component of the show featured three puppets speaking to their survival of the concentration camps. Yes, I was thinking the same thing: puppets + concentration camp = this is not going to go well. But their moving monologues were what the audience connected with most. Something about the simplicity, fragility, and naivety inherent in those puppets made them immediately sympathetic. A puppet, unlike a human actor, is clinging to life every moment they are on stage. The audience is directly responsible for that puppet’s existence – it’s their imagination that allows the puppet to live, and a unique bond is formed between them. Kind of like watching your child take its first steps. 

It’s this aspect of puppetry that I want to explore with the story of Macbeth. I’m interested in a figuratively and literally fragile Macbeth built of wood and paper. A man, filled with naivety, exposing his doubts and fears to an audience who is responsible for giving him life. I would be more willing to go on a journey with Macbeth if I could see both his emotional and corporal fragility through everything he does. That’s exactly what we get with puppets. 

And I haven’t even mentioned all of the supernatural stuff in the play that’s way more fun in the world of puppetry. Puppets aren’t bound by the laws of physics, and so can do all sorts of inhuman things. Witch puppets?! Are you kidding me?!

The real challenge is going to be bringing together the worlds of puppetry and Shakespearean text. Luckily we got to spend a week developing ideas thanks to funding from the Ontario Arts Council. We already have some exciting things up our puppet sleeves and we’ve embarked on a rather drastic adapting process, letting the aesthetic choice of working with puppetry guide our approach to the text. 

And the secret weapon that I’m most excited about: I’ve brought on Zach Fraser, the man who taught me everything I know about puppetry, to build our puppets and work with us as a puppet choreographer throughout rehearsals. 

And now, a word from the man himself:

Ok. Confession.  I don’t always understand Shakespeare!

His words can be poetic & powerful, but at times, I get over-whelmed by the language. Through the years, I’ve seen many Shakespeare-in-the-Park productions. In Toronto… In Montreal… In Halifax… Each has its own charm. But I often leave the performance feeling like I don’t understand the story as well as I should.

This summer, with Shakespeare in the Ruff, we intend to create a truly accessible, visceral production that touches the soul and transports the spirit…

…using puppets.

I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a production of Shakespeare as unique in its vision as that which we are venturing to create this summer in Withrow Park. Shakespeare’s language can be exquisite. The plight of puppets can be absurd, splendid, and heart-wrenching. Puppets are the masters of high comedy & deepest drama, so partnering them up with Shakespeare makes perfect sense to us.

There’s a reason why most theatre companies avoid puppetry: they add a LOT of extra work to a production. But there’s also a reason why some of us keep getting drawn back to puppets; because they are spellbinding, seductive, magical, and they have the power to win our hearts instantaneously! They appear to be naïve, but their power is great.

Ruff is an ambitious, motivated, slick young company of talented & bold artists. I applaud the company for their willingness to respect, revere, and yet reinvent Shakespeare’s plays. It’s an honour to join forces with these Ruffians this summer.

Zach Fraser

10 Easy Steps to Ruff by Sheila Macdonald

By | Cymbeline, Outdoor theatre, Shakespeare | No Comments

Shakespeare in the Ruff’s production of Cymbeline’s Reign ran in Withrow Park during the summer of 2014

1. Gather friends/family/children/dogs

Everyone is welcome. The more the merrier! Ruff performs an abbreviated version of Shakespeare’s best that is easy to follow and an excellent introduction for the uninitiated.

2. Head to Withrow Park by 6:30

The performance officially starts at 7:30, but if you want to get the best seating, you should plan on coming around 6:30. There is plenty of time before the show starts to enjoy a picnic and some music (see below).

3. Bring a picnic

Outdoors on a summer’s night in beautiful Withrow Park is the perfect setting for a picnic. Enjoy nature in the heart of the city. Pack up those sandwiches and pickles and come to nosh!

4. Bring a blanket or some lawn chairs

The Ruff “stage” is between two trees at the bottom of a small hill with an aisle up through the middle of the audience. You can sit on the hill on a blanket or at the top of the hill in lawn chairs. Either way you are right in the middle of the action. We have extra blankets and chairs for rent, but bring your own to avoid disappointment.

5. Pay the nice volunteers what you can 

We don’t want to turn anyone away, so Ruff is a “Pay What You Can” (PWYC) admission. If you’re not sure, we suggest $15 per person is fair. All monies collected go towards producing the performance which includes paying our actors, who invest so much into this company with very little financial return. So, show them some love and pay what you can, if you can.

6. Eateth, drinketh and be merryeth

While you are enjoying your picnic and waiting for the play to begin, enjoy the musical guests who perform almost every night from 7:00pm. We showcase local musicians who are friends of Ruff or members of the Withrow Park community. 

As a special treat, the night of August 16th, the Young Ruffians will perform. These are high school students who have completed the Young Ruffian Apprenticeship Program, an intensive program with an emphasis on performing Shakespeare where participants learn and work alongside our professional company. Read more about the Young Ruffians.

7. Sit back and enjoy the performanceRUFF_EAGLE1

 Cymbeline’s Reign is being directed by Ruff’s Artistic Director Brendan McMurtry-Howlett who states “Cymbeline = Crazy-Amounts-Of-Fun” and “…it is a piece created as an exploration of new forms of storytelling…” Read all Brendan has to say.

8. Share your experience with more friends/family

Ruff is a small theatre company and only in its third year. We don’t have the budget to advertise so we count on you, our community and our fans, to help us get the word out. Please tell everyone about your experience and encourage them to join us in Withrow Park this August.

9. Stay in touch

We want to hear from you and would love it if you’d agree to hear from us. Please subscribe to our email list, “Like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You’ll hear all about our plans, performances and events and we will get to learn what you thought of the performance, so get in touch.

10. Repeat 

The beauty of live theatre is that it’s different every night, and with the sunsets, music series, and passersby, you can bet that an evening with us will never be the same twice, so please do join us again. Now go to #1.

Sheila Macdonald is one of Ruff’s dedicated Board Members as well as an avid theatregoer. We’ve learned that trusting Sheila’s advice gets us far, so you should too.

Ptarmigan-playing August 30th

Highlights from ‘Between the Trees’: Ruff’s Pre-show Music Series

By | Announcements, Cymbeline, Outdoor theatre | 2 Comments

Ptarmigan (playing August 30th)

 

Highlights from ‘Between the Trees’ running Aug 12th-31st

by General Manager and Resident Musician, Brooklyn Doran

Our production of Cymbeline’s Reign begins tomorrow night and our pre-show music series is going to be off the hook! The ‘Between the Trees’ pre-show music series sees local and emerging musicians share in our evening of magic by performing a half-hour of music before our mainstage production. This year we are inviting back some seasoned veterans and familiar faces, as well as welcoming some brand new emerging talents to the stage and we couldn’t be happier!

Every musician featured this year is mega-talented! If you’re in the neighbourhood, I’d suggest coming back to the park every evening to feast your ears on some of these artists’ offerings. It’s an incredible way to find out about new music, and experience the magic of Shakespeare in the park at the same time! If you like what you’re hearing, many of them will have their music for sale at our Box Office . 

Three Seasons and the Move

Here is a little preview of some of the artists who’ll be joining us this year. All three of these feature a little bit of banjo!

Familiar Faces: Three Seasons And The Move (August 15th)

This year we’re excited to welcome back Three Seasons and The Move who played opening night for our production of Richard III last year. Three Seasons and The Move is an eclectic group of musicians who straddle folk, pop and rock genres. Their music is funky, danceable, timeless and Canadian. If you didn’t catch them last year between the trees, now is definitely the time. Your toes will be tapping and your hearts will be soaring. Preview track here

First Time Favourites: Crooked House Road (August 29th)

Crooked House Road is a Toronto­-based indie, folk, pop outfit comprised of Shaina Silver­-Baird (lead vocals/violin), Mirian Kay (vocals/guitar) and Tom Mifflin (vocals/piano), joined by Derek Gray (percussion), Darren Eedens (banjo) and Matthew Riggs (bass).

 Folk music wrapped in delicious harmony, Crooked House Road helmed by Shaina Silver-Baird’s powerhouse vocals is a band to watch out for. Foot-stompin’ fun- Crooked House Road will get you dancing up out of your seats and revved up for an evening in the park. The raw power and emotion of the vocals paired with the incredible musicianship of this band makes for a sweet, sweet set that is not to be missed. 
Don’t believe me? Check the evidence:

[youtube_video] KwzCgCysI_A [/youtube_video]

All In The Family: 

Ptarmigan (August 30th)

Ruff Artistic Director, Brendan McMurtry-Howlett, isn’t the only one in the McMurtry clan overflowing with talent. We’re thrilled that cousin Peter McMurtry’s band, Ptarmigan, is returning this summer to bless our ears with their music! 

If you haven’t heard of Ptarmigan yet, I suggest you come to Withrow Park on August 30th to bask in the glory that is their catchy, brilliantly-crafted folk music. It is the perfect score for watching the last rays of sun drain from the summer sky before the park is lit with the explosive performances in our production of Cymbeline’s Reign. Preview track here

Can’t make any of the above dates? Don’t fret! Every single evening is sure to please with music that is equally impressive and beautiful. The full list of our ‘Between the Trees” performers can be found HERE.