Arts - X-Fest equals bliss with the Bard

X-Fest equals bliss with the Bard

AUGUST 2006 — VOLUME 4 ISSUE 8

Shakespeare is alive and well, and being performed live in Kamloops.

This summer, Project X Theatre Productions brings to life two fantastic plays: William Shakespeare’s comedic war of the sexes Much Ado about Nothing, and Timothy Findley’s award-winning drama Elizabeth Rex.

This is the second year I’ve had the opportunity to see Project X in action. Last year, I was witness to their fantastic presentation of The Tempest, Shakespeare’s play about a shipwreck on a deserted island. At the time, I was absolutely blown away. The performance, the set, the costumes . . . everything was wonderful. With this performance in mind, I was excited to see what Samantha MacDonald and Derek Rein, the creators of Project X, had come up with this summer. To everyone’s great fortune, these two geniuses decided not to produce one play, but two!

Those who know Much Ado about Nothing will be very interested in seeing Elizabeth Rex. The play, which won Findley the Governor General’s award for drama in 2000, discusses gender in the Elizabethan era. As I arrived at Prince Charles Park on opening night, I couldn’t wait to see how the actors of Project X would deal with this gender-bending play.

Theatre-goers will know they’re in for a treat as soon as they see the set. The open air stage and bench seating are reminiscent of the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare’s plays were performed in the 16th century. As the lights dim, the breeze cools your cheeks and your eyes are drawn to the upper balcony, where William Shakespeare arrives to lament his death. Before long, the stage is alive with characters and the audience is locked in for the night.

One of the most exciting things as a Kamloopsian was to see the fantastic home-grown talent that lit up the stage. Most of the supporting actors in the play are locals who have worked with Project X in the past. Of the five professional actors in the cast, two, Ryan Egan and Jim Maher, have roots in Kamloops. Maher did a wonderful job playing Luddy, the actor-cum-friar who spends most of the play sauced and saucy. But my favourite performance of the night had to be that of Egan, who played Ned, a man who plays a woman in Shakespeare’s plays. Egan walks the fine line between man and woman with a grace that is rarely seen in live theatre. Ned is matched against Queen Elizabeth, played by Danielle Dunn-Morris, and the repartee is electric. My eyes were moist as Ned bared his soul and his love for a captain who left him after a magical night. I really hope to see Egan return in future Kamloops plays.

X-Fest may just be the live event of the summer. The festival continues until Aug. 12, with the plays on alternate nights. With two great plays to see, one cannot afford to lose any time. Call 250-374-5483 to book your tickets tonight! Take a friend, take a lover, take yourself and keep in mind that a summer night is always better with the Bard.

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