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shakespeares fest

Wherefore art thou StewPendous Productions is inviting the community to "come hither" and take part in Whistler’s first annual Summer Shakespeare Festival, history in the making.

Wherefore art thou StewPendous Productions is inviting the community to "come hither" and take part in Whistler’s first annual Summer Shakespeare Festival, history in the making. The avant-garde, high energy, post modern production of William Shakespeare’s classic saga of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, will be directed and produced by nine time Jessie-nominated producer Stewart Glen (Kvetch, Othello, Fag Hag: The Love Stories). Glen will be forming an artist co-op of at least 20 persons and is looking for actors of all ages. The call is out for a crew, musicians, dancers, jugglers, clowns and performers of all ilks and persuasions. Auditions are going to be held at Whistler Secondary starting in May and all those interested in participating must book an audition time and bring in a photograph and brief resume for perusal. "We’re going to do this on a shoestring so it doesn’t cost anything," says Glen. "We will charge admission, and then we’ll be able to give something to the actors, so it’s a possible summer employment thing. We trying to involve the people in the community, and hope to cast out of the high school because that’s where the true untapped talent is in this town. It’s a huge project, we can’t do it alone." Hopeful acting candidates must be prepared to perform a monologue of no longer than two minutes. The monologue must be Shakespearean if the candidate is to be considered for a lead role. Musicians should be prepared to perform as soloists or duets. However, a demo tape will be accepted for audition purposes. All dancers must be prepared to perform a short piece in their chosen discipline. There are also numerous positions available for assistant stage managers. "Shakespeare and summer go together," states Glen. "You don’t have to pay for the rights, there has been a resurgence in Shakespeare as youths are particularly into it, and it’s the ultimate in the English language. There are lots of reasons why we want to do this, any self-respecting artist would be interested." Glen warns that the rehearsal process will be quite strenuous, requiring not only a substantial time commitment, but physical prowess and endurance. Athletic ability will be an asset in the production, tentatively booked to take place at Rainbow Park. Glen says the play needs water — lots of it — for staging. "Some of the staging will on docks, like the balcony scene," says Glen. "Romeo will be on the water, and Juliet on a dock. We want to play with the water a lot. "StewPendous Productions is hoping for considerable input from the community. Opportunities abound for everything from corporate sponsorship to volunteerism, so if you have a desire to see this ambitious artistic endeavour succeed, contact us. The faint of heart need not apply." o o o Pemberton has its own theatre group. Random Acts Community Theatre was recently formed and the group is looking to mount a production some time in the near future. Anyone experienced with directing or wanting to become a member is asked to call Ralph at 894-1136 or Elleanor at 894-5526.