Mariposa Arts Theatre (MAT) is presenting Bard in the Yard as its first live theatre event after a “lamentable year of theatre” with an outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s comedy, Twelfth Night.
The return of live theatre is music to the ear of local theatre veterans such as Nancy Chapple Smokler and Kevin Scharf.
Chapple Smokler, who plays Maria, says “it's absolutely wonderful to be back acting. It’s great to be with friends and meeting new people while doing something I love. It’s just wonderful.”
Twelfth night is described by MAT as a gender-bending comic romp that follows shipwrecked brother-sister twins who find themselves entangled in the upstairs/downstairs shenanigans of the best houses in their new country.
Set in the early 1930s, the first years of the Stephen Leacock house, the production makes generous use of the restored home, splendid gardens, and lakeside environs to recreate the majesty and mystery of Shakespeare’s Illyria.
“What a fantastic location for a show. It is really quite perfect because it has so many options for the director and for the actors in terms of staging. There is this wonderful deck, two balconies, and a grassy area that elevates us. Then there are several walkways and different ways of coming in and out,” Chapple Smokler says.
"The backdrop of the house fits in perfectly with how we stage the play as it’s used as the house of the character Olivia," she explained.
Canadian-born, American-based director Randy White has worked coast-to-coast in North America, but notes, “I’ve never directed in such an amazing setting and with such a dedicated group of artists.”
In keeping with moving the time period of the Shakespearean play to the 1930s to suit the era of the Leacock property, period costumes and music add to the show.
“Neil and Kim Barlow have done an absolutely masterful job of choosing music to support the show, as well as writing some original musical accompaniment," Chapple Smokler said, adding, “It enhances the show tremendously.”
Chapple Smokler is enthusiastic about the overall experience calling it healing.
“It’s been a tonic for all of us,” she says.
Performances began Aug. 5 and will run until Sunday, Sept. 5 on the grounds of the Stephen Leacock Museum in Orillia. Tickets are $30 and are available through the Orillia Opera House box office online at orilliaoperahouse.ca or by phone at 705-326-8011.
Audiences will be asked to bring their own lawn chairs, and comply with safety precautions at the Museum grounds. MAT and the Stephen Leacock Museum will implement guidelines set by the City of Orillia and Public Health authorities. In the case of extreme weather, ticket holders will be contacted for any cancellations. Note that this production has mature themes.
Bard in the Yard hopes to be an ongoing partnership between MAT and the Stephen Leacock Museum as a celebration of the blend of the written word and the performing arts immersed along the shores of Orillia's Lake Country.
For more info visit: mariposaartstheatre.com
