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 Kostya Polyakov Romeo and Juliet. While many of you will already know this beautiful 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

Andrew Bianchini We hope that our 2022 Season brings great joy, laughter, love,

Rebecca Catley a deeper understanding of our fellow humans, and a renewed

Douglas Clarke optimism about the power of theatre.

Mark Fancourt-Smith Our entire team – our artists, administrators, production, wardrobe, John Geddes site build staff, Board members and volunteers – have poured their Ainslie Hurd hearts and hard work into bringing our Festival back to you. Thank Glenn Ives you to them all for sharing their talent and dedication.

Aveen Maharaj Derral Moriyama Marian ngo Thank you to our extraordinarily generous community of supporters that ensured we were able to return on such stable footing. Marlie Oden Finally, thanks to you, our loyal and passionate patrons. Your faith Arv Sooch and encouragement over these past two challenging years have

Community Committee Members 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. Larry Beasley Rhogene Dadashzadeh Welcome back – we are so happy you are here! Sandy Logan Brandon Ma Gordon Plottel Dave Ricketts