Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, has revealed a 2021 Season with an online program aimed to engage its existing Festival community while reaching out to new audiences across Canada and beyond.
The 2021 lineup is highlighted by a bold new venture – the world premiere of a new play, Done/Undone, commissioned by Bard, produced as a feature film and available on demand on a state-of-the-art digital platform. Tickets for Done/Undone are on sale now at bardonthebeach.org.
Western Canada’s biggest Shakespeare Festival’s 32nd Season, dubbed Press Play!, features the Shakespeare-themed film and artist Talkbacks, along with Bard Explored – livestreamed conversations with SFU’s Paul Budra and four of the world’s most celebrated Shakespeare scholars; a BC-focused wine-tasting event hosted by Artistic Director Christopher Gaze and Vancouver International Wine Festival Executive Director Harry Hertscheg, and A Shakesperience – a new film for students to be released in September. There is also a series of exclusive digital events programmed for Bard’s Members.
The season’s feature film, Done/Undone, was originally commissioned by Bard as a stage play. When the impact of the pandemic forced the Festival to transition to a digital 2021 season, playwright Kate Besworth and Bard’s artistic team transformed the production to become a feature film, shot in multiple spaces at Burnaby’s Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Directed by Vancouver theatre artist Arthi Chandra, Done/Undone stars Charlie Gallant (Shakespeare in Love, 2019) and Harveen Sandhu (As You Like It, 2018). The two accomplished actors play a range of characters, including a pair of battling scholars, two cast-members in a?Hamlet production, a theatre-going couple who are far apart on Shakespeare’s appeal –and the Bard himself (played by Sandhu).
Photo: Emily Cooper
Done/Undone asks what could be a challenging question for a Shakespeare festival: do the Bard’s plays stand the test of time, and should some not be staged anymore? But, says Bard Artistic Director Christopher Gaze, “We’re glad to embrace the debates that are taking place in the broader world. And much to our delight, this project brings an original and accessible new perspective to those complicated questions. We believe its spirit, wit and bravery will resonate with many people and points of view.” The production addresses questions of race, sexuality, and which voices are heard and valued – questions that are also acknowledged within Bard’s organizational values and its Company Commitments.
Digital access tickets for Done/Undone are $29 and include all fees & taxes. A Household rate and Watch Party packages are also available. All pricing and access details can be found at bardonthebeach.org or by calling the Bard Box Office at 604-739-0559