Shakespeare in the Park makes triumphant return

Recent Mount Royal graduate Jesse Ajohn draws in the crowd at Shakespeare in the Park’s performance of A Midsummer’s Night Dream on a gorgeous summer night. Photo: Joshua Ajohn

Many fans outside of Mount Royal University (and maybe even a few fans inside the school walls) can tell you about every single Shakespeare in the Park show since its inception in 1987. However, with 2012 marking the 25th anniversary, that does not translate to 25 adaptations of the Bard.

In 2011 there was no show, causing Calgarians to question what would become of their summer tradition.

Luckily, thanks to the new agreement struck last spring between Theatre Calgary and Mount Royal University, the audience was treated this summer to what was a strong first step in a hopefully lengthy partnership.

The cast and crew were just as excited as the fans to bring Shakespeare back to the park.

“It was that we were all young and eager, it helped with getting it restarted and rebuilt,” assistant stage manager Tess Cowie said. The youthful exuberance was definitely apparent in the show, and it was just another factor to add in to the success of the performance.

Featuring a cast with many recent Mount Royal theatre graduates (in both the cast and the crew), Prince’s Island Park was treated to the delightful A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which ran from late June to early August. The pay-what-you-can production (for those on a student budget, read: free) was a successful return after a one-year hiatus.

Steven Evanik, who played both Snug and Mustardseed, said it was a great partnership, thanks to the training he and his former classmates received at Mount Royal.

When asked what was the biggest boost Shakespeare in the Park received, it was no question to Evanik that it was “our enthusiasm and our excitement.”

“(MRU) definitely got me in the mind of what was professional. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to take that much from the show,” he added.

If you missed the show, don’t fret. This will likely begin a long-standing relationship for the summer project between Mount Royal and Theatre Calgary.

With A Midsummer Night’s Dream having already been performed as one of the quintessential shows you must do with Shakespeare, there is sure to be another adaptation of one of the greats for summer 2013.