Outdoor theatre makes late summer return to Ottawa-area parks

The thrills, spills and foolishness of Ottawa's own Shakespearean troupe, A Company of Fools, has returned to sevenOttawa-area parks in the waning days of summer.

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The actors areback for 12 performances in the afternoon and evening as they act out Love from Afar, a mash-up of lovescenes from some of the Bard's most popular plays including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

In trademark fashion, the performances are designed with family viewing in mind.

"It's going to be really magical to be back in front of a live audience again," said artistic director and playwrightNicholas Leno.

Leno rehearsedand workedout logisticsin a parking lot outside the company's new home on Empress Avenuein Ottawa's Chinatown area.

The audience for each show will be physically distanced, he added, but will feel closer.

"When the lights go down and the actorsget started, it feels like we're all together and it's quite magical," said Leno.

Outdoor theatre waschased out of parks by the pandemic.Stages went dark, theatre seasons were cancelled,and actors, set directors, costume designers and manyother skilled workerslost their jobs.

Leno says government funding and the odd online or television gighelped some actors weather the break, but he knows many who left the professionfor other jobs.

"We've been on a bit of a forced hiatus for 18 months ... financially, andalso just emotionally, it's been a difficult time," said Leno.

"This is what people dedicate their lives toward doing and spend a lot of time working on their craft and perfecting, and to be away from that for so long, I've seen it really hurt artists."

'Hurt so much' missing audiences

Local actor Maryse Fernandestackles a range ofShakespeare's best lovedcharacters in Love from Afar, including the doomed Juliet and the tragic Hamlet. She says her favourite part is playing the stone wall that acts as a go-between to the bewitched lovers in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Fernandesfound work last year in productions over Zoom and voicing audio books, butshe's missed the thrill of performing before a live audience.

"I hadn't realized it was going to hurt so much," saidFernandes.

"The energy on stage is always different depending who is in our audience. Tohave that live audience again is going to be spectacular."

The Company of Fools will perform in seven locations in Ottawa and just outside the city onThursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between Sept. 2 and 25with a capacity of 100 for each show.

The group also plans to put on free showsforclients of non-profit facilities serving vulnerable populations.

The pandemic hassuspended the long-held tradition of passing the hat through the audience at the end of the performance, so tickets must be purchased in advance. They are now on sale but there was only availability for two eveningshows in rural areas as of Saturday morning.