we came across this scene of shakespeare's "Richard II" at st. james cathedral park last sunday. there were a few people watching, which is a delight. it has always been a general belief (at least by the acquaintances i made over the years) that shakespeare's plays are only for the enjoyment of the middle class. shakespeare in the park brings the great bard's work to anyone who cares to see, hear and listen, be it someone from the middle class or the next hobo who happens to be by.
when i was newly arrived in canada, i always went to this kind of plays around the city parks, having read most of shakespeare's plays. some presentations were elaborately costumed while mostly the characters are garbed with props like this gentleman here.
back in the old country i would've been inclined to be a stage actor, having played "portia" in merchant of venice and "ophelia" in hamlet, during my university days. it was a feat that i can memorize long discourses in a matter of a few hours with correct diction and accent (watching those british drama shows on tv helped a lot) and have in fact been approached to act professionally. but alas! i was a working class dudette and needed to earn my bread and butter some other decent way.
there are presentations on the weekend and i just might take in one of those; i have really missed my very "cultured self" which had lain dormant for so many years (ex-partner had not an iota of literary culture in his blood). i might bring my painting gears and do some plein air painting. or maybe not.
Beautiful clarity in this photo. It must’ve been something to see and hear, Vikki. I don’t think we have anything like this in our little town. The opportunities for culture are more limited here.
Looks like a kind of spontaneous presentation. We have had Shakespeare in the parks in Sacramento and in Tahoe, but they are paid events. Lovely capture of the actor.
@shutterbug49 - there are some presentations that are paid events but mostly they are free or 'pay as you are able' kind of thing. mostly the city organizes them with the relevant organizations. it is also an avenue for companies to promote their products thus the actors are paid something for their work. toronto has a lot of very talented actors and it's a way to hone their skills and get known. i think that makes everybody a winner, does it not?
Nice candid capture of the actor. The advantage of living in an area with lots of people. Wouldn't go over here and they'd probably want to charge an arm and a leg.
August 29th, 2022
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