Shakespeare in space: Fredericton theatre company to stage out-of-this-world take on The Tempest
William Shakespeare once wrote “All the world’s a stage”, and this summer, one of ‘the Immortal Bard’s’ most famous plays will take stage at the Fredericton’s Botanic Garden.
After a year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fredericton’s Bard in the Barracks Theatre Company is returning to action, and they’re taking a fresh take on Shakespeare’s classic The Tempest to the capital city’s botanical gardens…and beyond.
“It’s going to be great to see audiences again,” says Len Falkenstein, artistic director of the Bard in the Barracks Theatre Company. “We have a really enthusiastic fan base for these shows and I’ve seen so many comments to the effect of ‘can’t wait!’.”
Their out-of-this world take on Shakespeare reimagines The Tempest in outer space, in a staging inspired by science fiction B-movies and television series of the 1950s and 60s.
"I'm playing Ariel, and in this version of The Tempest, Ariel is a sentient A.I. slash cyborg who lives on this desert planet. She is of such advanced technology that her capabilities almost seem like magic,” explains actor Lara Lewis.
Last summer would have been the 15th season for the Bard in the Barracks Theatre Company, but was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Now, with the waves of the pandemic receding and New Brunswickers eager to take in live entertainment, the company is excited to get back to work.
"As a person who was, like all of us, forced into a hiatus from life, from different things we enjoy doing and that are important to us, it was very sad and difficult for me last year to not be able to participate in live theatre,” says actor Rebekah Chasse.
Chasse says the readjustment to getting her "theatre legs" beneath her again really comes with adjusting how to be back around crowds of people.
But it's also those crowds that they missed.
“To see those faces in the audience next week, and hear the laughter and the applause, is going to be the greatest feeling in the world,” adds Falkenstein.
The Bard in the Barracks Theatre Company will be performing The Tempest from June 24-July 4 in the Fredericton Botanic Gardens.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
developing Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
Biden OKs US$60M in aid after Baltimore bridge collapse as governor warns of 'very long road ahead'
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned Thursday of a 'very long road ahead' to recover from the loss of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved US$60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse.