Bard on the Beach facts for kids
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| Location | Vanier Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
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| Founded | 1990 |
| Founded by | Christopher Gaze |
| Artistic director | Christopher Gaze |
| Type of play(s) | Primarily Shakespeare |
| Festival date | June - September, Annually |
Bard on the Beach is a big and popular Shakespeare festival in Western Canada. It happens every year from early June to September in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The festival's main goal is to offer great Shakespeare plays that everyone can enjoy and afford.
Besides the summer festival, Bard on the Beach also has many programs all year long. These programs teach people about theatre and help actors learn more. In 2019, the festival celebrated its 30th anniversary!
Contents
Discovering Bard on the Beach's Story
Bard on the Beach started small in the summer of 1990. It was funded by a special grant given to its Artistic Director, Christopher Gaze. Christopher Gaze moved to Canada after studying theatre. He performed in many plays across Canada, including the Vancouver Shakespeare Festival.
In Vancouver, Christopher Gaze met other actors who loved Shakespeare. In 1989, he directed a play called Under Milk Wood. The next summer, this group put on A Midsummer Night's Dream in a rented tent. This was the first Bard on the Beach show! About 6,000 people came to see it. Because it was so popular, Bard on the Beach became an official non-profit group in December 1990.
Where the Magic Happens: The Festival Site
The Bard on the Beach festival is located in Vanier Park, near the Burrard Street Bridge. It has two main stages where plays are performed: the BMO Mainstage and the Howard Family Stage.
There's also a group of tents called the Bard Village. This village has the ticket office, a gift shop, and places to buy snacks. The festival area also includes dressing rooms for actors, offices for staff, and picnic areas for visitors.
The Main Stage: BMO Mainstage
Bard on the Beach bought its first large tent in 1992. By 2010, they needed a new one. After raising money, they built a special new Mainstage tent. This new tent can seat 742 people and has a new stage design. It also has more comfortable seats with cup holders!
The new tent still has an open back. This means the audience can see the beautiful view of False Creek, the Coast Mountains, and the city skyline behind the stage. The stage is named the "BMO Mainstage" because the Bank of Montreal helped pay for it.
Bard on the Beach usually performs two plays on the BMO Mainstage each season. They also host concerts and opera shows. The stage design is unique because it has to work for both plays performed there.
The Howard Family Stage: A Smaller Theatre
A second, smaller theatre tent was added in 1999 for Bard's 10th anniversary. This tent was designed for less famous Shakespeare plays. It also hosts modern plays that connect to Shakespeare's work. For example, in 2005, they performed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard.
This theatre is named after Douglas Campbell. He was a good friend and mentor to Christopher Gaze. Douglas Campbell and his son, Torquil Campbell, even performed together at Bard on the Beach.
This smaller theatre seats 240 people. Its setup can be changed easily, like a "black box theatre." The tent was replaced in 2013. In 2014, it was named the "Howard Family Stage" to honor Darlene and Paul Howard, who supported the festival.
Learning with Bard: Education Programs
Bard on the Beach also runs many programs for young people. These programs, called Bard Education, aim to inspire the community. They help people learn about Shakespeare's language, characters, and plays in a fun way.
Bard in the Classroom: Workshops for Students
"Bard in the Classroom" offers workshops led by "Teaching Artists." These are actors and directors trained by Bard. The workshops can be for students aged 4 to 18. Teachers can ask for sessions that introduce Shakespeare's work or focus on a specific play. Students use their voices and bodies to explore Shakespeare's plays.
Young Shakespeareans Workshops: Summer Fun
The "Young Shakespeareans Workshop" program has been offered since 1993. It's for young people aged 8 to 18. The program runs for two-week sessions for "Juniors" (8-13) and "Seniors" (13-18). There's also a one-week intensive program for older teens (15-18).
Since 2014, participants from the "Riotous Youth" program help the Teaching Artists in these workshops.
Riotous Youth: Growing Theatre Skills
The "Riotous Youth" program started in 2014. It's for young theatre fans aged 19 to 24 who have finished the "Young Shakespeareans Workshops." These participants help the Teaching Artists. They also give talks to the audience before shows. They even work with experienced Bard actors to prepare a final performance.
Other Exciting Events at the Festival
Besides the plays, Bard on the Beach hosts several special events throughout the summer:
- Bard Fireworks
- Wine Wednesdays
- Family Days
- Bard Explored
- Talkback Tuesdays
Past Productions: A Look Back
Plays from 1990 – 1999
- 1990: A Midsummer Night's Dream
- 1991: A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It
- 1992: Twelfth Night, The Tempest
- 1993: The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet
- 1994: The Merry Wives of Windsor, King Lear
- 1995: The Comedy of Errors, Hamlet
- 1996: Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, Shylock
- 1997: Love's Labour's Lost, The Winter's Tale
- 1998: As You Like It, Richard III
- 1999: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Measure for Measure
Bard Peak Performances (1995–1998)
From 1995 to 1998, Bard on the Beach had special "Peak Performances." These shows were held on weekend afternoons at the top of Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver.
Plays from 2000 – 2009
- 2000: The Tempest, Henry IV, Part 1, All's Well That Ends Well
- 2001: The Taming of the Shrew, Antony and Cleopatra, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- 2002: Twelfth Night, Henry V, Cymbeline
- 2003: The Comedy of Errors, The Merchant of Venice, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Shylock, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bard in the Vineyard)
- 2004: Much Ado About Nothing, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Macbeth
- 2005: As You Like It, Love's Labour's Lost, Hamlet, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
- 2006: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Measure for Measure, The Winter's Tale, Troilus and Cressida
- 2007: The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens, Julius Caesar
- 2008: King Lear, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, Titus Andronicus
- 2009: All's Well That Ends Well, The Comedy of Errors, Othello, Richard II
Plays from 2010 – 2019
- 2010: Antony and Cleopatra, Falstaff, Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing
- 2011: As You Like It, The Merchant of Venice, Henry VI: The Wars of the Roses, Richard III
- 2012: Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Taming of the Shrew, King John
- 2013: Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Measure for Measure, Elizabeth Rex
- 2014: A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, Equivocation, Cymbeline
- 2015: The Comedy of Errors, King Lear, Love's Labour's Lost, Shakespeare's Rebel
- 2016: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Pericles
- 2017: Much Ado About Nothing, The Winter's Tale, The Merchant of Venice, Shylock, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- 2018: As You Like It, Macbeth , Timon of Athens, Lysistrata
- 2019 (30th Season): The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare In Love, All's Well That Ends Well, Coriolanus
Plays from 2020 – Present
- 2020: The season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia. The planned plays were A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V, Love's Labour's Lost, and Paradise Lost.
- 2021: No in-person shows due to COVID-19. Digital programs were offered online, including Done/Undone.
- 2022: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Harlem Duet, Romeo and Juliet
- 2023: As You Like It, Julius Caesar, Henry V, Goblin:Macbeth
- 2024: Twelfth Night, Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors, Measure for Measure
- 2025: Much Ado About Nothing, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again], The Dark Lady
