The 2012 Shakespeare-in-the-Park Summer Tour of The Taming of the Shrew

May 17, 2012

Montréal, May 2012 – Repercussion Theatre’s Shakespeare-in-the-Park and Le Conseil des arts de Montréal en tournée, bring William Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, to Montreal and surrounding parks this summer from July 11^th to August 5^th. Admission is free.

Women are crazy! Men are idiots! Throughout the ages, the sexes have felt this way about their opposites at one time or another. For Shakespeare, this conflict inspired sheer, comic genius in The Taming of the Shrew. When fortune-hunting scoundrel Petruchio meets wealthy, shrewish Katharina, sparks fly (and furniture too!). But like any good romantic comedy – when the heated arguments and passionate disdain subside – love prevails.

Co-directors Andrew Shaver and Paul Hopkins bring to life this story of two seemingly mismatched lovers. Hopkins shares the directors’ particular take on this comedy classic, “Kate and Petruchio are two outsiders brought together by love. But can they live with each other? This production will reflect a world of lovers and misfits. We are excited, also, to draw on some of Montreal’s own diversity and talent, featuring Italian folk music throughout the performance.”

Shaver, one of Montreal’s busiest theatre directors, is best known for his tremendous success with Sidemart Theatrical Grocery. He brings a wealth of experience, having spent three seasons at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as both an actor and assistant director, and having studied at l’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq and with the master clown and pedagogue, Philippe Gaulier. Shaver recently directed Haunted Hillbilly and Stones in his Pockets at Centaur Theatre and Scientific Americans at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts.

Paul Hopkins, Artistic Director of Repercussion Theatre since 2007, is a seasoned Montreal actor and director. Credits include directing Shakespeare’s The Tempest (2008) and As You Like It (2009) and performing the lead in Repercussion Theatre’s Macbeth last season. Hopkins, most recently seen on stage at both Centaur Theatre (In Absentia) and at The Segal Centre (The Plays the Thing), was also the director behind the 2011 Fringe Festival hit, Teaching Hamlet.

The set design by Amy Keith and costumes by Susana Vera add an Italian, ‘Fellini-esque’ feel to the production, drawing inspiration from movies such as La Strada and 8 ½, as well as from Shakespeare’s Elizabethan period. To complete the atmosphere, recent John Abbott College graduate Davide Chiazzes makes use of his authentic Sicilian folk tradition experience, lending the show an Italian musical flavour that enchants and transports the audience into a world that is both fantastical and familiar.

Continuing the company’s tradition, The Taming of the Shrew’s cast is made up of many young, professionally-trained actors, including recent graduates from National Theatre School, Concordia University and John Abbott College’s Professional Theatre Program. Shakespeare-in-the-Park has proved a launching pad for some major careers over the years, including Lost’s Cas Anvar, Glee’s Jessalyn Gilsig, and The Borgias’ Francois Arnaud. We look forward to introducing you to this year’s emerging artists.

For its 24^th season, Shakespeare-in-the-Park will once again reach out to audiences by touring to various parks throughout Montreal, hoping to welcome 10,000 people. Hopkins summarizes, “To accommodate our growing audience, this year we will be presenting extra performances in Westmount Park, Beaconsfield and Mount Royal Cemetery. We are also moving up our start date to mid-July instead of the traditional late-July opening.”

In order to continue presenting productions for free (donations warmly accepted!), Repercussion Theatre is grateful to have the enthusiastic and generous support of the following organizations: Conseil des arts de Montréal, Conseil des arts et des letters du Québec, Canada Summer Jobs (Service Canada), Emploi Québec and the Zeller Family Foundation, as well as various media and in-kind sponsors.

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