Humber River Shakespeare Takes AS YOU LIKE IT on Tour, Now thru 8/4

Humber River Shakespeare Co. will soon be heading out on its SIXTH ANNUAL outdoor Shakespeare tour to communities across Ontario with their production of Shakespeare's beloved comedy, AS YOU LIKE IT. All performances are open to the general public and are Pay-What-You-Can with a suggested donation of $15.

In this enchanting and witty comedy, a well matched pair of lovers, both banished, seek refuge in the Forest of Arden. Only one complication prevents their love from flourishing, the lovesick Rosalind is disguised as a man. As she teaches Orlando how to woo a woman her frustration yields to high comedy in this tale of cross-dressing, mistaken identity, poetry, song, humor, and shrewd observations about love, marriage, fate, and human nature.

As they do each and every summer, this talented troupe of travelling players will breathe new life into this all-time favourite among Shakespeare's comedies. From the cold and hostile court to the welcoming arms of the forest, AS YOU LIKE IT is about love - in all its forms. Brothers, lovers, friends and foes are tricked, tried and tested in this pastoral pastiche of life, love, wisdom and wit. A wrestling match, music, a banished duke, and a celebration of country life combine to move, delight and inspire in this classic comedy.

The production is directed by the company's Artistic Director, Kevin Hammond, (just returning from the Stratford Festival where he was Assistant Director on MEASURE FOR MEASURE).

Unique heritage buildings and picturesque parks continue to act as natural play spaces for the company, and several new venues and communities have been added to the tour, namely: Evergreen Brick Works, Riverdale Farm, and Fairy Lake Park. The tour will also extend up to the Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood.

Humber River Shakespeare is proud to work with 2013 presenting partners The Ontario Arts Council and Arts Society King. "We are pleased to have such generous support from these organizations, which allow us to continue to create and produce professional theatre and educational programs for a growing audience base," says Moyle. "The relationships we've built with local organizations, businesses and volunteers are also essential to our success."

AS YOU LIKE IT

Director: Kevin Hammond

Cast: HUGH BARNETT, CHRISTOPHER FOWLER, LISA HAMALAINEN, CHRISTOPHER KELK, ANDREW KNOWLTON, SARA MOYLE, SPENCER ROBSON, LAUREN TOFFAN, JILLIAN WELSH

Set Designer: ANDREA MITTLER

Costume Designer: NINA OKENS

Fight Director: SIOBHAN RICHARDSON

Composer: HUGH BARNETT

AS YOU LIKE IT: Touring Schedule - Summer 2013:

July 9/10 - Dick's Dam Park, Bolton

July 11 - Schomberg Fairgrounds, Schomberg

July 12/13 - Town Park, Aurora RAIN

July 14 - McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg RAIN

July 16 - Blue Mountain Resort, Collingwood RAIN

July 17 - Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto RAIN + TICKETS

July 18 - Schomberg Fairgrounds, Schomberg

July 19/20 - Alton Mill Arts Centre, Alton RAIN + TICKETS

July 21 - Riverdale Farm, Toronto

July 23/24 - Thorn Lodge Park, Mississauga

July 25 - Fairy Lake Park, Newmarket

July 26 - McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg RAIN

July 27/28 - Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke

July 30/31 - Old Mill, Toronto RAIN + TICKETS

Aug 1 - Etienne Brulé Park, Toronto

Aug 2/3/4 - Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke

RAIN (performance guaranteed rain or shine)

TICKETS (Tickets available online starting June 1). Performances: Tuesday-Saturday at 7pm, Sundays at 2pm. Admission: Pay-what-you-can at the park. Suggested donation: $15. Patron information line: 416-209-2026. Website: HumberRiverShakespeare.ca.

Humber River Shakespeare is a professional touring theatre company. Led by Artistic Producer Sara Moyle and Artistic Director Kevin Hammond, the company seeks to enrich the artistic profile of communities along the historic Humber River and beyond, by offering free, high-quality, professional performances and workshops. Humber River Shakespeare strives to produce theatrically engaging work with an emphasis on making the text understandable and accessible to both the Shakespeare novice and the experienced theatre patron.

Artistic Director - Kevin Hammond: As Artistic Director for Humber River Shakespeare Kevin has directed Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, Comedy of Errors, A Christmas Carol, Shakespeare Cabaret, among other pieces. In 2012 Kevin was selected to participate in the Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction at the Stratford Festival. This spring he will be Assistant Director for Measure for Measure at the Festival. Kevin spent five years as Artistic Director for Toronto's Shakespeare in the Rough (2001-2005). Kevin is the featured voice performer for Oxford University Press' OXFORD NEXT on-line Shakespeare Program.

To post a comment, you must register and login.