BY KIRSTEN BOLTON
for Artspring
What if Shakespeare’s Juliet decided not to die?
This is the central question in Monster Theatre’s break-out hit Juliet: A Revenge Comedy, co-written by Pippa Mackie and Ryan Gladstone, bringing its madcap production to ArtSpring on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
A send-up of Shakespeare classics, the story sees the titular character (played by Lili Beaudoin) — suddenly realizing she is only 13 and has known Romeo but for a few days — break out of an endless loop of turning the dagger on herself to search instead for the reason of her tragic demise.
To find her answer, her journey jumps her from play to play recruiting some of the Bard’s most famous, and similarly fated, female characters to find out why they too were all forced to die. Can they alter their fate or are they doomed to play out the same tragic tales for the rest of eternity?
“We’ve heard from the community that many people would like to see more theatre and some light-hearted options at ArtSpring during our season,” said Howard Jang, executive and artistic director. “This production definitely fits that bill with a clever premise, fast pace and lots of humour. It’s been very well received elsewhere, and we hope it is here as well.”
Gladstone, who also directs, plays a haughty powder-faced version of Shakespeare himself, pursuing his rebellious heroines before they completely subvert his canon. Carly Pokoradi reprises her Jessie award-winning role embodying over 20 support characters, including Lady Macbeth, Ophelia, Cleopatra and even Romeo.
Amid the over-the-top accents, laughter and good-natured jabs at Shakespeare’s multi-syllabic pronunciation, the whimsical conceit also brings home weightier themes about his depictions of female characters. As NOW Toronto describes it, it is “a delightful tale that’s equal parts feminist critique, Renaissance romp and bravura acting not to be missed.”
The creators insist one does not need to be an expert in Shakespeare to be immersed in the story or get the jokes. Younger audiences will be able to connect with the irreverent themes and perhaps be introduced to Shakespeare’s work but from the perspective of a feisty and modern teenage heroine.
Founded in Vancouver in 2000, Monster Theatre bills itself as a theatre company committed to “repackaging history and mythology for today’s audiences” by re-imagining and re-inventing the boundaries between high-brow and low-brow. It has created over 40 original plays and toured across Canada and the U.S.
Tickets are available online and at the box office, including youth tickets for $5 and Theatre Angel Program tickets for $15, making the performance accessible to a community-wide audience.
ArtSpring thanks Debbi and Mark Toole for sponsoring this performance.