Good times; bad times

Edmonton is one of the last remnants of the Wild West and the mad Klondike gold rush. Although the city reflects a blue-collar image, the Freewill Shakespeare Festival, set within the historic Hawrelak Park, is a distinctive extension to the local cultural scene.

Now celebrating its landmark 25th anniversary, the troupe performs the British bard's tales in the park's outdoor amphitheatre, a natural setting not unlike one created by Elizabethan players.

This year the merry company is pulling out all the stops with King Lear, one of Shakespeare's great tragedies, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, a delightful frothy comedy that spins together love, fairies and trickery.

"We're looking at what's new and what we haven't done before," says artistic director Marianne Copithorne, who directs Midsummer Night's Dream.

"These are two of Shakespeare's most popular plays and there's a heavy demand on the cast. But because this is our 25th anniversary, we were able to bring a few extra actors in."

The professional troupe anchors each production in repertory. That is, they alternate evenings running from June 26 to July 21.

Born in 1989, the festival was a naïve attempt by about 10 unemployed University of Alberta drama students to find summer work. Brimming with enthusiasm, they applied for a grant to create the city's first Shakespeare in the Park.

Everyone assumed the grant would pay for all the troupe's wages. Instead there was only enough to pay for an administrator and a publicist. It was, however, enough to launch what would become an Edmonton cultural institution. And to help pay costs, they passed the hat for a freewill offering.

There was no budget for costumes and the energetic actors shopped at local thrift stores to create a more contemporary look. They reasoned that if the Bard presented his plays in modern 16th century attire, they too could make their more updated productions accessible to the populace.

During the first season, their biggest audience hit 300 in the aptly chosen Comedy of Errors. But their boldness captivated audiences and each year they built on previous years' popularity.

Their growth jumped in about 1997-1998 when the Free Will Players changed its status from Shakespeare in the Park to the more formal River City Shakespeare Festival. While the former name implied a loosely-based group of individuals, the latter recognized the event as an official summer festival. This allowed it to tap into government funding that guaranteed salaries for artists and technicians.

Much in demand by local theatregoers, Midsummer Night's Dream was mounted in both 1993 and 2003. This time around, Copithorne sets the play in modern courtly outfits in a place that calls itself Athens.

She explains that this confection gained popularity when Elizabeth I escaped from the unhealthy air of London's summer heat visiting friends, family and political allies in the countryside. To entertain the queen, hosts would mount masques, concerts and fireworks. And it was said that Elizabeth particularly enjoyed plays staged by locals.

Two worlds

In this light-hearted frolic, Shakespeare creates two worlds – the civilized court dominated by a man-made structured set of laws, and the dark woods clustered with mischievous fairies that follow more spontaneous, chaotic rules of nature.

Known for his convoluted plots, Shakespeare reveals a world where Lysander loves Hermia and Hermia loves him. Helen loves Demetrius, who actually loves Hermia. However, Hermia's father prefers Demetrius, and everyone is confused and unhappy.

The lovers escape to the forest and one night in the woods changes everything. Using potions, magic, superstition and playful tricks, the fairies bring balance and harmony so true love reigns.

"What really struck me is who is in charge? Whose dream is it? Bottom thinks it's his dream, but when all is said and done, who really is in charge? It's not the fairies. Do they learn from it, or is it just a distant memory?" asks Copithorne.

Among the cast's big names is former St. Albert resident John Kirkpatrick, double cast as both Theseus and Oberon. Kirkpatrick is not only the festival's past artistic director, but also one of the finest Shakespearean artistic interpreters in Western Canada.

"The great thing about the way we're cast is that it sends a message that we're all made up of different sides of a coin," says Kirkpatrick.

As Theseus, king of Athens, he is a "cut and dry" figure. As the petulant Oberon, King of the Fairies, "he's more of a minx until he goes too far and has to fix the problem."

The lean actor developed a strong familiarity with Midsummer after the late Tim Ryan, artist director of Leave It To Jane Theatre, cast him as Oberon in an all-male production with St. Albert actors Damien Atkins and Garrett Ross.

"This production is way more loose and I'm more confident in the role. And it's more interesting than just a lot of men," he says.

In addition to stickhandling the Theseus/Oberon roles, Kirkpatrick has also been cast in King Lear in the smaller role of Kent, one of the monarch's loyal followers.

In this tragedy, the aging King Lear asks his three daughters to prove their love for him. The two eldest profess their undying love, whereas Cordelia, the youngest and his favourite, responds in a more humble manner.

Unsatisfied with Cordelia's answer, he banishes her and divides the kingdom between the two elder sisters. Leaving himself devoid of responsibility, he falls into a web of deception that eventually leads to madness.

To direct this meaty production, Copithorne invited Jim Guedo, chair of MacEwan University's musical theatre department.

"Jim has experience directing two theatre companies and he has a high esthetic. He has a lovely directing style and because he's a jack-of-all-trades, he can design the set, lights and sound. He knows how to do everything. He has a good eye and he does his research."

Some directors might feel intimidated by King Lear. After all, it ranks beside Macbeth and Hamlet as Shakespeare's pinnacle achievements. However, Guedo displays an easygoing confidence in his abilities that he honed as artistic director of the now defunct Phoenix Theatre.

"Anybody can do it. Once you start, it's just one big play. I've been working on it for a year and it's grown on me. At the end of the day, my job is to tell the tale. It may look like you're climbing Mount Everest, but when you get into it, it's a story about a guy with three daughters who makes rash mistakes."

In a bout of egotistical blindness, Lear gives up power in the kingdom, but refuses to give up control. In passing the reigns to his daughters, order in his personal life and in the kingdom turns to chaos.

"It's all about political power and control," explains Guedo. "But the whole point of his madness is that he goes through intense suffering and is brought to a different reality."

For Kirkpatrick, the best festival choice is a toss-up.

"Summer Night's Dream is fantastic family fun. It's probably Shakespeare's most popular play," he says. "And King Lear – well, all tragedy hinges on character flaws. One character makes one small mistake and it crushes him in the end. Be careful the decisions you make. There are consequences."