artistic & executive directors’ message
Claire Sakaki and Christopher Gaze | Photo: Emily Cooper
, We are so excited to welcome you back to Senákw/Vanier Park for Bard’s 33rd Season. After two long years of being dark on our stages, we are thrilled to once again gather as a community under the tents. And we couldn’t be prouder to offer you these three new productions.
We began our Festival in 1990 with A Midsummer Night’s Dream and we have revisited this beloved comedy seven times, each time offering something new and surprising to our audiences. We had hoped to bring you this Dream in 2020 but the pandemic forced us to pause. However, we have continued to develop this production since then and we believe it is stronger, more thrilling and even more magical now! Full of fairies, goblins, lovers and magic, this Dream is exactly what we need coming out of such a challenging time for us all. Board of Directors Harlem Duet by the incomparable Djanet Sears is a heartbreaking President and thought-provoking Canadian classic. Influenced by Othello, and John McCulloch examining the Black experience over a series of moving “duets”, Vice President Harlem Duet is a play that we can’t wait to share with our audiences. Darlene S. Howard We will end our season with another beloved Shakespeare play, Treasurer Romeo and Juliet. While many of you will already know this beautiful Kostya Polyakov and tragic love story, this new production will be told through Juliet’s Secretary eyes, reframing her beliefs and experiences through the lens of a Shona McGlashan strong, passionate young woman. Directors We hope that our 2022 Season brings great joy, laughter, love, Andrew Bianchini a deeper understanding of our fellow humans, and a renewed Rebecca Catley optimism about the power of theatre. Douglas Clarke Mark Fancourt-Smith John Geddes Ainslie Hurd Glenn Ives Aveen Maharaj Derral Moriyama Marian Ngo Marlie Oden Arv Sooch
Community Committee Members Larry Beasley Rhogene Dadashzadeh Sandy Logan Brandon Ma Gordon Plottel Dave Ricketts
Our entire team – our artists, administrators, production, wardrobe, site build staff, Board members and volunteers – have poured their hearts and hard work into bringing our Festival back to you. Thank you to them all for sharing their talent and dedication. Thank you to our extraordinarily generous community of supporters that ensured we were able to return on such stable footing. Finally, thanks to you, our loyal and passionate patrons. Your faith and encouragement over these past two challenging years have buoyed us, and your continued support has ensured that we are able to once again be together, in this beautiful location, under our iconic tents, to share the magic that is live theatre. Welcome back – we are so happy you are here!
Christopher Gaze, Artistic Director
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Claire Sakaki, Executive Director
