THE BELFRY THEATRE PRESENTS
Taking Shakespeare
by John Murrell
Streaming June 8 – 13, 2021
Belfry DigitalBelfry DigitalTHE BELFRY THEATRE PRESENTS
by John Murrell
Streaming June 8 – 13, 2021
Taking Shakespeare
by John Murrell
THE CAST
Patti Allan – Prof
Austin Eckert – Murph
CREATIVE TEAM
Michael Shamata – Director
Candelario Andrade – Videographer and Editor
Tobin Stokes – Composer and Sound Designer
Sophie Tang – Lighting Designer
Becca Jorgensen – Stage Manager
Production photography by Mark Halliday, Moonrider Productions.
Taking Shakespeare is 84 minutes long.
The Belfry Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the terms of the jointly negotiated Canadian Theatre Agreement.
Taking Shakespeare is produced under the auspices of UBCP / ACTRA.
The Belfry Theatre is on the land of the Lək̓ʷəŋən People, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. The Lək̓ʷəŋən people have been keepers of this land for millennia and we offer our respect and gratitude for our uninvited presence on their territory.
These lands are within the disputed Douglas Treaties territories, treaties that were negotiated verbally, signed to blank pieces of paper by the Indigenous leaders and then had text added by the colonial government. The colonial perspective on the treaty is one of a sale of land, while the Indigenous perspective is a sharing of territory.
The Songhees are members of the Te’mexw Treaty Association seeking a modern treaty with the Crown on their rights, territory and self-government.
The Belfry Theatre is a registered Canadian charity, 11921 5549 RR0001.
The Belfry Theatre is a member of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, Destination Greater Victoria, and the Professional Arts Alliance of Greater Victoria.
President – Richard Brownsey
Vice-President – Dr. Sheila Elworthy
Secretary – Ross Woodland
Treasurer – Robert Thomson, CA
Directors
Gloria Back
Paulina Grainger
Dr. Joan Mcarthur-Blair
Kini McDonald
Joan Peggs
Sarah Pocklington
Lisa Ricci
Andy Stephenson
Alison Watt
Honorary Board of Directors
Chair Emeritus – Patrick Stewart
Sherri Bird
Barbara Greeniaus
Robert Johnston, Q.C.
John Keay
Joan Snowden
Dr. Brian Winsby
Michael Ziegler
Kate Barry – Development Coordinator
Jane Broomfield – Front of House Manager
Helena Descoteau – Box Office Clerk
Mark Dusseault – Director of Marketing & Communications
Linda Findlay – Head of Wardrobe
Mike Ford – Director of Production and Operations
Ian Gibson – Audience Services Manager
Ivan Habel – Executive Director
Keith Houghton – Head Technician & Systems Administrator
Valerie Houle – Company Manager
Carole Klemm – Scenic Artist
Matty Cervantes Navarrete – Manager of Community and Artistic Connections
Patricia O’Brien – Financial Officer
Samantha Pelkey – Associate Producer and Indigenous Relations Manager
Peter Pokorny – Head of Props
Dale Pudwell – Head Scenic Carpenter
Michael Shamata – Artistic Director
Lara Shepard – Custodian
Gregory Smith – Technical Director
Susan Stevenson – Director of Development
This show was filmed in Vancouver. Our thanks to the Arts Club Theatre and their exceptional staff who worked onTaking Shakespeare.
Stephan Baeuml – Director of Production
Ted Roberts – Resident Designer/Technical Director
Dan Paterson – Newmont Stage Technical Director
Ace Martens – Pre-Production Manager
Jack Holmes – Facilities/Venue Rentals Manager
Lucas Hall – Stanley Theatre Head Stage Carpenter
Darren Payne – Newmont Venue Technician
Sebastian Finch – Stanley Theatre Head of Sound
SHOW SPONSOR
SHOW SPONSOR
SEASON SPONSOR
SEASON SPONSOR
PUBLIC FUNDER
PUBLIC FUNDER
PUBLIC FUNDER
PUBLIC FUNDER
PUBLIC FUNDER
Prof
Patti has been acting in theatre, Film and T.V. in Vancouver and throughout the country for over 30 years. She is thrilled to be working with this wonderful team in presenting the reading of this compelling piece of work. Patti has previously performed at the Belfry Theatre in Anatol and Three Tall Women in the late 1990’s. She is delighted to be working with one of her favourite directors, Michael, whom she first had the pleasure of working with in the Vancouver Playhouse’s production of The Music Man, in 1991. Patti also loves teaching both young people and seniors.
Murph
Austin is from Treaty 4 territory (Regina, Saskatchewan). He was recently featured in the Belfry’s film production of BEING HERE: The Refugee Project. Select Theatre: Much Ado About Nothing, The Winter’s Tale, Macbeth, As You Like It, Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare in Love (Bard on the Beach), HAIR (Mayfield), Beauty and the Beast (Arts Club), MAMMA MIA! (WCT), Miss Understood (Frank). Select Television: Batwoman, The Flash, Supernatural (CW), Narcoleap (Telus/ CBC), Colony (USA), The Magicians (SyFy). Austin is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts, and was in the company of Spring Awakening at the Belfry.
John Murrell is among Canada’s most frequently produced playwrights, whose plays – including Waiting For The Parade, Memoir, Farther West, and Taking Shakespeare – have been performed in more than 30 countries around the world. He is also a translator, the author of four opera libretti, an arts activist, mentor, and consultant. Murrell is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Alberta Order of Excellence, and a recipient of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. One Yellow Rabbit’s premiere production of his play Death In New Orleans won a prestigious Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh International Arts Festival.
Candelario Andrade is a video editor and media designer for theatre, dance and performance arts. Recent streaming credits include BEING HERE: The Refugee Project (Belfry), Body Parts (Tara Cheyenne Performance); Bard Beyond the Beach (Bard on the Beach) and Pathetic Fallacy (The Chop -with Milton Lim). Recent theatre credits: Anywhere But Here (Electric Company); House and Home (Firehall); Anon(ymous) (Studio58). For the Belfry: Griffin and Sabine; Forget About Tomorrow. As video editor he has worked for Knowledge Network, VIFF and several short films and animations for visual artist Cindy Mochizuki. Cande is a faculty teacher at Studio58 and co-artistic director of Rough House productions.
Tobin Stokes composes for opera, concerts, theatre, film, and dance. He writes opera libretti, choral texts, song lyrics, and short plays. His opera, Fallujah, premiered with Long Beach Opera and New York City Opera in 2016. Pauline, an opera collaboration with Margaret Atwood, premiered in 2014. Tobin has composed music for dozens of films. His most recent series, The Wild Canadian Year, was recorded with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. For theatre, he composes and works in sound design. Tobin’s choral music is performed around the world, and his orchestral music and other operas have been commissioned and premiered in Canada. His orchestral music has been recorded in Moscow and Bratislava. Tobin composed the music for the Belfry’s filmed production of BEING HERE: The Refugee Project.
Sophie Tang is a Jessie Award Winner and Nominee, as well as an Ovation Award Nominee. She holds an MFA theatre design degree from UBC and a BFA theatre production and design degree from SFU. Recent Lighting Design credits: BEING HERE: The Refugee Project (Belfry Theatre); East Van Panto: Panto Come Home! (Theatre Replacement); The Human Voice (City Opera); 12 Dates of Christmas (Arts Club Theatre); Straight White Men (ITSAZOO Productions); Little Volcano (Veda Hille & Theatre Replacement); Peter Pan (Carousel Theatre). Sophie recently designed the set for Kuroko at Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre. Upcoming: Lighting and Projection design for Tomorrowlove at Studio 58. Portfolio website: sophieyufeitang.com
Becca is a Victoria born and raised stage manager and marathoner. She is thrilled to be back and creating with the Belfry for her 4th season. For the Belfry: BEING HERE: The Refugee Project, The Ministry of Grace, Every Brilliant Thing, Bears, Griffin & Sabine, Bed & Breakfast, A Christmas Carol. Other favourites elsewhere: Busted Up! A Yukon Story (OpenPit); The Piano Teacher (Arts Club); Garden of Alice, La Bohème, Il Trittico (Pacific Opera Victoria); Mamma Mia!, Kim’s Convenience, 2 Pianos, 4 Hands
An evolving relationship between an older Professor and a younger student may seem like a clichéd set-up for a play. However, in the hands of John Murrell—one of this country’s most celebrated playwrights—what appears to be a simple play, is as complex as life itself.
Taking Shakespeare focuses on two wounded individuals with unfulfilled needs. Through their shared exploration of Shakespeare’s Othello, they discover the one (unlikely) person with whom they can share their vulnerabilities. It is a deeply humane play, about our fragility and our susceptibility to the whims and wounds of others. Shakespeare’s unparalleled understanding of the human heart becomes both the bond between these two, and the window into each other’s soul.
We are all so easily hurt—and yet—if we are lucky enough to find an ally—we can also find the strength to carry on.
Michael Shamata
The Belfry Theatre gratefully acknowledges the financial support of The Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, the Capital Regional District Arts Development Office and the City of Victoria.
Helijet
Times Colonist
BMO Financial Group
Graham Isenegger & Neil Chappell of CIBC Wood Gundy – Blue Heron Advisory Group
PARC Retirement Living
TD Bank Group
Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites
CD Specialty Cleaning & Restoration
Horne Coupar LLP Lawyers & Notaries
BMO Financial Group
FOCUS Magazine
Presented by Odlum Brown Limited
EAT Magazine
Monday Magazine
Used.ca
Vessel Liquor Store
RBC Emerging Artists Project
Costa Verde Landscaping
Dowell’s Moving & Storage
The Finishing Store
Gabriel Ross Furniture
KPMG
Monk Office
Petals Plus
The Joint Pizzeria & Deli
Phillips Brewing and Malting Co.
Sea Cider
Truffles Catering
Vessel Liquor Store
Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites
Villa Marco Polo Inn
FOCUS Magazine
Times Colonist
Used.ca
Showcase Awards
Government of Canada
Caffe Fantastico
Fastrac Printing
APM Fund for the Arts†
Belfry Theatre Society Endowment Fund†
Benevity Community Impact Fund
Irma J. Brydson Foundation
Cederberg Family Fund †
Charitable Gift Funds Canada Foundation†
Government of Canada †
The Jawl Foundation
Henley Family Fund†
Humber/Frampton Fund†
Marymax Fund†
The Mclean Foundation
Elizabeth McPherson Fund for the Arts†
Provincial Employees Community Services Fund
The Stewart Fund (through the Vancouver Foundation)
Vancouver Foundation
Victoria Foundation
Victoria Guest Services
Peter & Nancy Vivian Fund †
† through the Victoria Foundation
The support of visionary philanthropy ensures that the Belfry will continue to flourish as Greater Victoria’s premier contemporary theatre company.
Dr. Perry & (Late) Annamaria Bamji
Richard Brownsey & Glynis Leyshon
Jane Francis & Dave Skilling
Barbara Greeniaus & Bill Israel
Bruce & Barbara Housser
Judi James
John & Anne Keay
Robert & Ann Myers
Joan Peggs
Cindy Petrowski & Phil Marsh
Ross Richardson
John & Suzanne Stewart
Judy Stewart
Julie & John Richard Swenson
Plus, a further seven anonymous members
We invite you to join the Belfry Legacy Circle by making a planned gift or bequest. Gift planning is an inspired, meaningful and deeply personal way to secure the future of the Belfry Theatre. The support of visionary philanthropy ensures that the Belfry will continue to flourish as Greater Victoria’s premier contemporary theatre company.
Consult your professional advisors about the many forms through which you can achieve tax advantages of charitable donations and bequests. Please inform us if you have included the Belfry in your estate plans, so we can acknowledge your support during and/or after your lifetime, according to your wishes. Contact: Susan Stevenson, Director of Development, 250-385-6835 ext. 229 or development@belfry.bc.ca
The Belfry acknowledges the generous recent and past gifts from the estates of
Helena Balczewska
Roger J. Bishop
Shirley Mae Dawson
Marguerite Kathleen Friesen
David Neil Lee
Maria Luisa Macrae
Grace Mersereau
Margaret Seens
Alan Geoffrey White
Anonymous
Annamaria Bamji Memorial Award for Emerging Playwrights, created by Dr. Perry Bamji †
In Memory of Eric Adler
In Memory of Violet Armstrong (2)
In Memory of Annamaria Bamji from owners of Lady Jane Condominium
In Memory of my sister Beth, from Casey
In Memory of Agnes and Arnold Davies
In Memory of my brother Gerry Emery
In Memory of Michael Fallis (2)
In Memory of Antonietta Forte
In Memory of Jean Elizabeth Kõdar
In Memory of Nikki & Bruce MacKenzie from the family
In Memory of Ronald Adam Polstein
In Memory of Jacqueline Price
In Memory of Jack & Lisa Valikoski
† Through the Victoria Foundation
Ronald & Juliana Polstein † *
John & Suzanne Stewart *
Stephen & Michelle Brown *
Fiona Hunter *
The Nikki & Bruce MacKenzie Family *
Patrick Stewart *
Dr. Stephen Tax
Honorable & Mrs. David & Sandra Anderson
Dr. Perry & (Late) Annamaria Bamji *
John & Barbara Barton *
Richard Brownsey & Glynis Leyshon *
Stephen Cushing & Debbie Gill *
Jan & Janice Drent *
Sheila & Paul Elworthy *
David Harris Flaherty *
Barbara Greeniaus *
Ivan Habel
Joe & Linda Harvey *
Douglas & Anne Henderson *
Bruce & Barbara Housser
Audrey Johnson *
Robert & Suzanne Johnston *
Patti-Anne & Martin Kay *
Helen Lansdowne *
Alan Marcus & Gail Nagley
Mary McAvoy
Kini McDonald *
Robert Milne *
Michael Morres *
Bill & Maureen Murphy-Dyson *
Robert & Ann Myers *
Patricia O’Brien & Michael Gaudet
Ronald & Judith Parish *
Joan Peggs *
Lisa Ricci
Andy Stephenson *
Judy Stewart *
Al & Judith Title *
Ross & Jane Woodland *
Michael & Vicki Ziegler *
Anonymous (2)
A Refugee Sponsor and Admirer of Joel
Anonymous (4)
Matt & Jean Valikoski *
Lindy Van Alstine
Nick van Der Westhuizen *
Margaret Walker *
Donald & Adelina White
Carolyn Whitfield *
Lorraine Whiting *
Jim & Anne Williams *
Bill Williamson *
Carol Wimbush *
Brian Linds & Jan Wood
D.W. Young *
Anonymous (21)
The Belfry Theatre thanks our generous donors who contributed to the 2020 / 21 Capital Retrofitting Project. Their support made it possible to install a wheelchair elevator and washroom backstage, making our stage and dressing rooms accessible to all artists, visitors, volunteers and staff.
Andrew Sheret Limited
The Barraclough Foundation
British Columbia Arts Council
Charis and Brian
Donna Christie & Richard Shapka
Alex & Samantha Currie
Government of Canada
The Hamber Foundation
Jill Kean
Mary McAvoy
Peninsula Co-op
Cindy Petrowski & Phillip Marsh
Nicola Ruth Rendell
Milton Schlosser & Paul Harland
Rotary Club of Victoria
Victoria Foundation
Patricia M. Young
Anonymous (6)
Plus 3 Name a Seat donors