Shakespeare by the Sea, Newfoundland
Encyclopedia
The Shakespeare By The Sea Festival is a theater company in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
, Canada
, that specializes in the works of William Shakespeare
.
The company was founded in 1993 by Aiden Flynn and Danielle Irvine, and has been under the artistic direction of Jennifer Deon since 1995. The company's main event is an annual outdoor Shakespeare festival that runs throughout the months of July and August. Performance locations have ranged from the cliffs of Logy Bay and the courtyard of the Murray Premises to the bunkers of Signal Hill and the stones of Topsail Beach. The Festival's venues are announced seasonally.
Shakespeare by the Sea, Newfoundland is listed as a Major Festival in the book Shakespeare Festivals Around the World by Marcus D. Gregio (Editor
), 2004.
In its 17th season, the Festival mounted a production of The Tempest
, returning to the Logy Bay venue used for the same play in 1993, the festival's first season.
(directed by Steve O'Connell), Twelfth Night (directed by Krista Hann), The Curious Case of the Colony (written by Chris Hibbs, directed by Jennifer Deon), Above and Below (written and directed by Phillip Goodridge), and Tunes and Tales (performed by Kelly Russell)..
The 2011 Feast of Fools Alumni Award was presented to Robert Chafe
. The award recognizes an artist among the Festival's alumni who has found personal, artistic and/or community achievement in the preceding year. Chafe, winner of the 2010 Governor General's Award
for English Language Drama, acted with Shakespeare By The Sea in the 1990s.
1994 King Lear
1995 Twelfth Night
1996 Macbeth
and Romeo & Juliet
1997 Macbeth
, Hamlet
, I Hate Hamlet
and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
1998 A Midsummer Night's Dream
1999 Much Ado About Nothing
and Richard III
2000 The Mousetrap
, Julius Caesar (play)
, Love's Labour's Lost
2001 Dial M for Murder
, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Merchant of Venice
and A Streetcar Named Desire (play)
2002 The Tempest
and Twelfth Night
2003 The Importance of Being Earnest
, Othello
, Romeo & Juliet, The Cask of Amontillado
and The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged)
2004 As You Like It
and The Winter's Tale
2005 Henry V (play)
2006 The Two Noble Kinsmen
, A Midsummer Night's Dream
and Dear Brutus
2007 Macbeth
, The Comedy of Errors
and The Rats in the Walls
/ The Cask of Amontillado
2008 Macbeth
2008 Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado About Nothing
, Anthony and Cleopatra, and The Rats in the Walls
/ The Cask of Amontillado
2009 The Tempest
, Romeo & Juliet, The Tell-Tale Heart
/ The Cask of Amontillado
/ The Signal-Man
, The Tunes and Tales of Newfoundland, and Fairy Tale Mix-Up
2010 Love's Labour's Lost
, Troilus & Cressida, The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged), Fairy Tale Mix-Up, The Tunes and Tales of Newfoundland, and The Rats in the Walls
/ The Signal-Man
, The Cask of Amontillado
2011 Hamlet
, Twelfth Night, Above and Below, The Curious Case of the Colony, and The Tunes and Tales of Newfoundland
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, that specializes in the works of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
.
The company was founded in 1993 by Aiden Flynn and Danielle Irvine, and has been under the artistic direction of Jennifer Deon since 1995. The company's main event is an annual outdoor Shakespeare festival that runs throughout the months of July and August. Performance locations have ranged from the cliffs of Logy Bay and the courtyard of the Murray Premises to the bunkers of Signal Hill and the stones of Topsail Beach. The Festival's venues are announced seasonally.
Shakespeare by the Sea, Newfoundland is listed as a Major Festival in the book Shakespeare Festivals Around the World by Marcus D. Gregio (Editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
), 2004.
In its 17th season, the Festival mounted a production of The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
, returning to the Logy Bay venue used for the same play in 1993, the festival's first season.
2011 Season
Currently in its 19th season, productions include HamletHamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
(directed by Steve O'Connell), Twelfth Night (directed by Krista Hann), The Curious Case of the Colony (written by Chris Hibbs, directed by Jennifer Deon), Above and Below (written and directed by Phillip Goodridge), and Tunes and Tales (performed by Kelly Russell)..
Feast of Fools
Beginning in 2009 the Festival has hosted an annual fundraiser celebration known as the Feast of Fools. Held on 23 April (the birthdate of the famous Bard), the feast is a Renaissance-themed evening of fine food and live entertainment celebrating the work of the Festival.The 2011 Feast of Fools Alumni Award was presented to Robert Chafe
Robert Chafe
Robert Chafe is a Canadian playwright. His play Afterimage won the Governor General's Award for English language drama at the 2010 Governor General's Awards. He was previously nominated for the same award at the 2004 Governor General's Awards for his plays Butler's Marsh and Tempting Providence.He...
. The award recognizes an artist among the Festival's alumni who has found personal, artistic and/or community achievement in the preceding year. Chafe, winner of the 2010 Governor General's Award
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
for English Language Drama, acted with Shakespeare By The Sea in the 1990s.
Past productions
1993 The TempestThe Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
1994 King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
1995 Twelfth Night
1996 Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
and Romeo & Juliet
1997 Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, I Hate Hamlet
I Hate Hamlet
I Hate Hamlet is a dramatic comedy written in 1991 by Paul Rudnick. Set in John Barrymore's old apartment in New York City - at the time, the author's real-life home - the play follows successful television actor Andrew Rally as he struggles with taking on the dream role of Hamlet, dealing with a...
and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is an absurdist, existentialist tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet, the courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern...
1998 A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
1999 Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
and Richard III
Richard III (play)
Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
2000 The Mousetrap
The Mousetrap
The Mousetrap is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. The Mousetrap opened in the West End of London in 1952, and has been running continuously since then. It has the longest initial run of any play in history, with over 24,500 performances so far. It is the longest running show of the modern...
, Julius Caesar (play)
Julius Caesar (play)
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
, Love's Labour's Lost
Love's Labour's Lost
Love's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s, and first published in 1598.-Title:...
2001 Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder is a 1954 American thriller film adapted from a successful stage play by Frederick Knott, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and Robert Cummings. The movie was released by the Warner Bros...
, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
and A Streetcar Named Desire (play)
A Streetcar Named Desire (play)
A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. The play opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947, and closed on December 17, 1949, in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The Broadway production was...
2002 The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
and Twelfth Night
2003 The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations...
, Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
, Romeo & Juliet, The Cask of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado
"The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book....
and The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged)
2004 As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
and The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics, among them W. W...
2005 Henry V (play)
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
2006 The Two Noble Kinsmen
The Two Noble Kinsmen
The Two Noble Kinsmen is a Jacobean tragicomedy, first published in 1634 and attributed to John Fletcher and William Shakespeare. Its plot derives from "The Knight's Tale" in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales....
, A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
and Dear Brutus
2007 Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. The Comedy of Errors is one of only two of Shakespeare's...
and The Rats in the Walls
The Rats in the Walls
"The Rats in the Walls" is a short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft. Written in August–September 1923, it was first published in Weird Tales, March 1924.-Plot summary:...
/ The Cask of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado
"The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book....
2008 Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
2008 Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
, Anthony and Cleopatra, and The Rats in the Walls
The Rats in the Walls
"The Rats in the Walls" is a short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft. Written in August–September 1923, it was first published in Weird Tales, March 1924.-Plot summary:...
/ The Cask of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado
"The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book....
2009 The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
, Romeo & Juliet, The Tell-Tale Heart
The Tell-Tale Heart
"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in 1843. It follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye". The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by dismembering it and hiding it under the...
/ The Cask of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado
"The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book....
/ The Signal-Man
The Signal-Man
The Signal-Man is a short story by Charles Dickens, first published as part of the "Mugby Junction" collection in the 1866 Christmas edition of All the Year Round....
, The Tunes and Tales of Newfoundland, and Fairy Tale Mix-Up
2010 Love's Labour's Lost
Love's Labour's Lost
Love's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s, and first published in 1598.-Title:...
, Troilus & Cressida, The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged), Fairy Tale Mix-Up, The Tunes and Tales of Newfoundland, and The Rats in the Walls
The Rats in the Walls
"The Rats in the Walls" is a short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft. Written in August–September 1923, it was first published in Weird Tales, March 1924.-Plot summary:...
/ The Signal-Man
The Signal-Man
The Signal-Man is a short story by Charles Dickens, first published as part of the "Mugby Junction" collection in the 1866 Christmas edition of All the Year Round....
, The Cask of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado
"The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book....
2011 Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, Twelfth Night, Above and Below, The Curious Case of the Colony, and The Tunes and Tales of Newfoundland