Street Photography by Denis Bouvier

Here’s the beautiful stage set of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at BMO Mainstage in Vanier Park. The beloved magical comedy was the first performance at Bard on the Beach at its inception in 1990 and this summer it will begin the celebration of 25 years of this popular Shakespeare festival. You can also celebrate the 450th birthday of the bard himself – William Shakespeare.

Scenic designer Kevin McAllister has used arched shapes with elements from modern architecture and the circus, which combine to create a magical setting. This is of course enhanced by the traditional open-ended concept of this stage with views of Vancouver’s sea, sky and mountains. The semi-circular outside view offered by this stage design concentrates this magical effect.

Front stage we have Scott Bellis in the role of Bottom and to his right, Naomi Wright in the role of Titania. Bellis also played in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Bard’s beginning 25 years ago.

Artistic Director Christopher Gaze founded Bard and through his passionate drive has carefully and successfully promoted Bard on the Beach to become one of Canada’s largest Shakespeare festivals, with a 2013 attendance of nearly 90,000.

This season runs from June 11 to Sept. 20. Also playing on the BMO Mainstage is The Tempest. The smaller Howard Family Stage will feature Shakespeare’s Cymbeline and Equivocation, a non-Shakespeare play that imagines Shakespeare writing the history of the Guy Fawkes gunpowder plot, which occurred in the early 1600s. There are also lecture series, musical performances, a Bard-B-Q and fireworks.

For more information on tickets, etc. go to: bardonthebeach.com

Street Photography by Denis Bouvier

Street Photography by Denis Bouvier