Colourful Shakespearian characters could plot intrigue and romance in Bower Ponds this summer, while rock, metal and punk bands perform there in the early fall.
A series of Shakespeare in the Park performances in July and August and a one-day concert of Alberta bands on Sept. 11 are among the first proposed new uses for the revamped outdoor stage at Bower Ponds — besides the usual July 1 Canada Day festivities.
While both attractions still need final approval from the City of Red Deer, Culture Department program facilitator Georgia Major said preliminary discussions have been encouraging for these events to go ahead.
“The (renovated) Bower Ponds stage was completed last year and we’ve been encouraging local events and the community’s use of it.
This seems like a great opportunity,” said Major, who’s still waiting for formal applications from the event organizers.
Prime Stock Theatre is interested in staging two Shakespeare comedies at Bower Ponds this summer: The Comedy or Errors and Much Ado About Nothing, which would alternate runs from July 22 to Aug. 7.
Prime Stock previously produced the Bard’s works under a tent at the now-defunct Shake at the Lake Festival in Sylvan Lake, but this would be the first time the local company is attempting to do Shakespeare in the Park in Red Deer.
The group’s artistic director Thomas Usher believes local theatregoers have become sophisticated enough to appreciate an event of this kind.
He also thinks there’s a “real cachet” to staging outdoor Shakespearian productions. Audiences tend to enjoy the informal “al fresco” approach to live theatre, he added, since the outdoors can add spontaneity to the Shakespeare experience.
The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare’s earliest and shortest plays, with much slapstick and mistaken identity humour, in addition to puns and wordplay. The farcical comedy tells the story of two sets of identical twins who were accidentally separated at birth and reunited after a series of wild mishaps, including accusations of infidelity, theft and madness.
Much Ado About Nothing concerns a pair of lovers, Claudio and Hero, who are due to be married in a week. They conspire to trick their friends, Beatrice and Benedick, into confessing their love for one another. But unbeknownst to Claudio and Hero, someone is plotting to destroy their upcoming wedding.
While Usher isn’t sure whether admission will be by ticket or pass-the-hat donations, he is planning open auditions at the end of the month for the 15 to 20 actors who would perform in both plays.
He’s also planning to promote the comedies at Red Deer’s Centrefest street performers’ festival, and is seeking other partnerships and corporate sponsors.
Josh Christensen, a co-owner of TGR Entertainment, is planning a “heavy” rock concert on Saturday, Sept. 11, featuring about eight local and regional independent rock, metal and punk bands playing on the Bower Ponds stage.
He also visualizes having vendors’ booths and street performers part of the event he’s calling Rock the Ponds.
Christensen said he already has a couple of local radio stations onboard to promote the event, although the band lineup won’t be finalized until mid-summer.
The gate admission system hasn’t been completely worked out but Christensen said, “We would like some of the money to go towards benefitting the Red Deer College Student Association Food Bank.”
More information is available on the website tgr-entertainment.com
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com