Stage Door News

Toronto: Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare Collective holds a fundraiser October 18 for Shakespeare in hospitals

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Coming soon to a healthcare facility near you - The Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare Collective is BACK, with Shakespeare in Hospitals and a Family Feud Fundraiser!

“I do this project because it has become, and has been bigger than me for a long time. It's one of the few pieces of theatre that I see out there that brings direct tangible positive results for both the audience member and artist. People talk about how theatre heals, and I believe it, but I more so believe in the healing power of community, “ said Victoria Urquhart, Co-Artistic Director.Every year thus far we have had folks coming back, wanting to share in that magic again. Everyone sees theatre for a different reason, and that doesn't stop just because you are in a healing process.”

The 2019 edition of Shakepeare in Hospitals continues the SOTM traditions, with  Shakespearean text blended with poetry, song lyrics, other recognizable Canadian/international texts and the company’s own writing to explore in a way that empowers patients/clients facing isolation to connect with their community during their stay in the healthcare facility. SOTM is back in 2019 after seight years with an entirely new narrative and new work adding poetry from established artists such as Sarah Kay and Maya Angelou. 

"When your boots will fill with rain and you’ll be up to your knees in disappointment
and those are the very days you have all the more reason to say thank you"

 - Sarah K

Seasoned directors  are paired with new works for SOTM productions – this edition features  Eli Ham (Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad, The is How We Got Here Here We Are); A.J. Richardson(Shakespeare in the Ruff, Guerrilla Ruff Squad, Beyond the 36) and Ara Glen-Johnson (The Lily's Revenge, Mankind, She Kills Monsters). The SOTM collective features the talents of Andrea Massoud, Qianna MacGuilchrist, Andrea Irwin, Chanakya Mukherjee, Kate McArthur, and Nicole Smieja.

Since 2010 The Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare Collective (SOTMSC) has cultivated a community of emerging artists with a shared interest in Shakespeare and street theatre. Their first project Shakespeare-On-The-Subway Project had the goal of providing opportunities for students to see Shakespearean performance for free, outside of an institutionalized context. Its eight-week run garnered local and national attention, leading to the creation of the Shakespeare-In-Hospitals Project,  bringing Shakespearean vignettes, monologues, and choral pieces to hospitals, senior residences, and hospices across the Greater Toronto Area.

The project has reached thousands of audience members through visiting over ten  hospitals, fourteen residential units, three senior residences, and two Hospices each year. Project members give more than one hundred private room visitations to bed-ridden patients and their families per season.

ON YOUR MARKS! It's time to play the FAMILY FEUD!!
 in the name of the 2019 Shakespeare-In-Hospitals Program!!!

Enter as a family or make a new one as we quiz folks on some of the ins and outs of Shakespeare, the theatre scene and the #Shakehospitals family. The family with the most points will win our Fall Theatre Prize Pack, including tickets to Second City, Native Earth, and Canstage's 2020 Season!

Interspersed with performances from the programs hot new script, this night will give an epic sneak-peak into the 2019 Shakespeare-In-Hospitals season. Featuring performances from our ensemble: Andrea Massoud, Qianna MacGuilchrist, Andrea Irwin, Chanakya Mukherjee, Kate McArthur and Nicole Smieja. Led by our amazing creative team: Ara Glenn-Johanson, Andrew Joseph Richardson and Eli Ham.

Folks can compete as a family for $40 ($8 per family member)* -- or enter for an individual PWYC fee. Register your team at: shakesfamfeud.bpt.me

Doors and Silent Auction Start @7pm
Family Quiz Time, Scenes and Stories @8pm
Cheesy Family Feud Music and Mingle @10pm
Silent Auction ends at Midnight!*

Spur of the Moment Shakespeare Collective presents:

Family Feud Cabaret! A #ShakespeareInHospitals Fundraiser

Friday, 18 October 2019 from 19:00-00:00
Imperial Pub (PWYC)
for more information, visit brown paper tickets

October 22nd-Dec 11th At various hospitals across Toronto and the G.T.A.
To inquire about visits during our hospitals run, please email shakespur@gmail.com for details
December 12th, 13th at Citadel +Compagnie (Tickets $15-$50) – more info to come!

The SOTMSC continues to grow and develop projects in 2019 under the mandate of establishing and cultivating community engagement in areas in and around Toronto experiencing isolation based on economic, social, and physical barriers. Our mission statement is to marry classical text, contemporary performance, and audience interaction to invite and encourage people to engage with their community.