Despite the disappointing storyline, the staging and performance of the play were excellently done, which is a feat considering even the actors struggled to find meaning in the play. But then again, that might have been the point.
u of o theatre department
“We got this nomination because of the highly collaborative effort we all put into this production. We worked hard, but always with a tremendous amount of pleasure.”—André Perrier, director of Les Reines.
Odyssey Theatre has done productions of this play before, but what makes this version stand out from its predecessors is that it’s set in 1950s Venice as opposed to the 1700s.
One of the best things about this adaptation of the play, and of Shakespeare’s writing in general, is that despite its antiquity it remains fresh in the eye of the beholder. Shakespeare’s writing still seems as relevant today as it was in the 1600s because of Shakespeare’s ability to understand the core of people’s nature and depict it in his complex characterizations, said Gough.
Included in this expansion are new facilities for the University of Ottawa’s theatre department. The facilities will include a new 120-seat black box theatre, which is typically a simple performance space often used at universities for it’s versatility, as well as four studio-style classrooms.
