Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan (SOTS) asks “Why perform Shakespeare?” through an engaging new play.
SOTS has coupled a roaring 20’s version of Hamlet with the world premiere of Done/Undone written by Kate Besworth. While no definitive answer to the question is provided, Besworth’s play, under the direction of Anita Smith, brilliantly captures the audience in a 90-minute back-and-forth on the issue from a wide variety of perspectives.
The festival, in its thirty-ninth year, has branched out from exclusively producing Shakespearean plays to exploring more modern Shakespeare-adjacent productions like Done/Undone that masterfully present Shakespearean material in an understandable and thought-provoking manner. This production in particular has forced the festival and audience members to question how and why Shakespeare is produced.
The play consists of various vignettes that include a romantic couple, two actors prior to a performance of Hamlet, two academics debating the relevance of Shakespeare and even two German clowns among others. These disparate perspectives are fleshed out in the interactions providing reasonable and often contrary reasons why the bard should or should not continue to be so prominent.
One argument in favour of Shakespeare is the serious contention that he captures the universality of humanity and holds a mirror up to human nature. Alternatively, the actor who is about to play Hamlet (played by Skye Brandon) absurdly exclaims “Why do Shakespeare? Because ART!”
But equally compelling are the arguments against Shakespeare. His misogyny, racism, and white, male, imperialist lens are all removed from the shadows and blatantly presented to the audience. This is both brave and necessary for a Shakespearean festival intent on remaining relevant within a modern context.
The cast is spot-on across the board with performances ranging from fantastic to downright inspired. Brandon and Mara Teare’s passionate academics were engrossing and Kristel Harder and Bongani Musa’s couple spat was charming and relevant. The most hilarious element of the play however came from Philippa Williams and Kevin Williamson as the German clowns. Their physicality, particularly from Williams, brought fits of laughter from the audience despite the serious nature of explaining the racism and sexism within Shakespeare.
Besworth’s approach to the play feels a little academic, though it is executed well. She also manages to fit in humour and absurdity to lighten the load.
The small Tuesday night audience giggled and appreciated the performances, and quite a few patrons remained for the talk-back following the show with Alyson Cook, the marketing and communications coordinator and an English grad student.
The audience responses voiced at the talk-back were overwhelmingly positive but still included various perspectives. One patron emphasized that seeing a play greatly contributes to the ability to understand Shakespeare as opposed to relying solely on the script. Another audience member felt like the play helped them feel like they are “not the only one” who doesn’t always understand Shakespeare. It is valuable that the festival is willing to listen to the responses from the audience to help build dialogue around a fairly heady play and the future of the festival.
One of the main theses of the piece is that more than one thing can be true at any given time, even when they appear contradictory. Shakespeare can be both problematic and beautiful. His plays have the potential to harm and the potential to be a conduit for change. In a world where polarization is growing and either/or thinking is prominent, this message is vital and commendable. Lisa Bayliss plays The Bard himself, and she states, “What’s done cannot be undone. But can it be done better?”
Done/Undone asks difficult and necessary questions that appear to set the stage for a 40th anniversary season and a future of SOTS that will include challenging and exciting productions.
Done/Undone runs on select days from July 13 – August 24 at the Shakespeare tent by the river. Tickets are available at www.shakespearesask.com.
