The Howard Family Stage welcomes CYMBELINE to the
2014 Bard on the Beach season
Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival continues its 25th season with Cymbeline, an enthralling drama featuring one of Shakespeare’s most finely-etched female leads. It plays Tuesdays through Sundays in the intimate 240-seat Douglas Campbell Theatre tent on the Howard Family Stage in Vanier Park from July 4 to September 17, 2014.Anita Rochon, making her Bard on the Beach debut, directs this fast-paced physical production featuring a cast of seven actors who artfully transform into multiple roles. The enthralling story that follows is driven by love, jealousy, betrayal and redemption and features a host of memorable characters.
The setting is ancient Britain where King Cymbeline’s (Gerry Mackay) kingdom is in danger. The Romans are threatening an invasion and there is no heir to the throne. Cymbeline’s two sons were stolen when they were children and his daughter Imogen (Rachel Cairns) has married Poshumous (Anton Lipovetsky), a poor orphan. This despite his orders for her to marry his new wife’s son, Cloten. Upon Posthumous’s banishment he travels to Rome where he meets Iachimo (Bob Frazer), who wagers half his fortunes that he can sleep with Imogen. Iachimo travels to Britain where he fails to woo her so he hides in a trunk in Imogen’s bedroom and when she is asleep, steals a bracelet as evidence of his success. Posthumous is thrown into a rage and sends orders to his servant Pisanio (Anousha Alamian) to kill Imogen. Pisanio disobeys and sends Imogen away from the kingdom, disguised as a boy. In Wales she meets three cave-dwellers, a father, Belarius (Shawn Macdonald) and his two sons, Guiderius (Benjamin Elliott) and Arviragus. The boys nor Imogen know that they are in fact the king’s sons who were kidnapped. An epic battle erupts between the British and the Romans where King Cymbeline is saved by his lost sons. All the characters are reunited where everybody learns everything about everybody else and peace is restored.
Anita Rochon is the Director of Cymbeline, along with a creative team that includes: Scenic Designer Pam Johnson, Costume Designer Mara Gottler and Lighting Designer Alan Brodie along with Composer and Sound Designer Benjamin Elliott, Choreographer Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg and Fight Director Nicholas Harrison. Production Stage Manager Joanne P.B. Smith is assisted by Samara Van Nostrand (Assistant Stage Manager) and Jennifer Stewart (Apprentice Stage Manager). Apprentice Director for Cymbeline is Guy Fauchon.
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