The St. Lawrence Market BIA presents Dauntless City Theatre’s production of the North American premiere of

SHAKESPEARE BY ANY OTHER NAME

by Vijay Padaki

Be part of Shakespeare’s canon in a wholly unconventional way.

August 4 - 27th in St. James Park.

Fridays and Saturdays 7 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 3 pm.

After last summer’s exciting run of This Earth of Majesty, a reimagined, Queer Richard II, Dauntless City Theatre returns to St. James Park with Shakespeare By Any Other Name, starring Tallan Alexander (One) and Chi-Chi Onuah (Two).

Shakespeare By Any Other Name is to a traditional Shakespeare play what The Harlem Globetrotters is to basketball. It is an opportunity to radically invite the audience into their favourite parts of Shakespeare, but also revisit their relationship with this behemoth of Western Theatre.

An exciting dive into the world of ‘The Bard’, the play is a fast-paced adventure about what Shakespeare means. Paying homage to the original text, but with wit and irreverence, Shakespeare By Any Other Name invites the audience to take ownership over Shakespeare's work and words, and then fall in love with it all over again.

This play is the culmination of Dauntless’ work so far, which has consistently upended Shakespeare's narratives, and we believe this will herald our evolution into presenting new joyous and engaging narratives from around the world that pay homage to classical theatre.

Shakespeare By Any Other Name is also an opportunity to enliven St. James Park, and include the audience like never before, as they enact the key scenes everyone dreams of performing. And what better piece to mount in the heart of the most diverse city in the world?

“This play, told through the perspectives of two performers morphing between Elizabethan noblewomen to Richard III and his horse to Lady Macbeth, and always the audience’s enthusiastic guides, makes the case that Shakespeare belongs to the people. I can't wait to see you in it!” — Kate Wermeburg, Co-Artistic Director

There is a circus atmosphere in Shakespeare By Any Other Name as well. Through humour and spectacle, playwright Vijay Padaki has created a play that follows many of Dauntless’s hallmarks: no fourth wall, audience engagement, appreciation of poetry and critical thinking in an accessible, delightful way.

The show is Pay What You Can (PYWC) at the venue, August 4 - 27th Fri-Sat-Sun: Fridays at 7:00 pm, Saturdays at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm. Comfortable footwear, a hat and sunscreen is recommended. Bringing a chair is also welcome.

Visit oldtowntoronto.ca.

Dauntless City Theatre is dedicated to bringing Toronto site-specific performances in non-traditional spaces. Outdoor performances are pay-what-you-can in an effort to ensure economical accessibility, and are physically accessible to all patrons.

Non-traditional casting has always been an important part of our productions, and is also key to our efforts to creating classical theatre that is more relatable to a broader audience. We will continue to broaden opportunities for talented actors to explore timeless characters in new ways. It ensures even more members of our vibrant city can find relatable portrayals of well-known stories, staged in interesting and exciting ways.