Shakespeare comes to Bracebridge

THE MUSKOKAN — It’s a classic tale of love, loss and cross dressing.
PRISM Theatre in the Park’s production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It kicks off today at Bracebridge’s Annie Williams Memorial Park. This year’s show will be the fifth production for PRISM, and the company has decided to tackle one of the Bard’s most popular plays.
As You Like It, like many of Shakespeare’s plays, is a complicated mix of romance and comedy. The main character is a woman named Rosalind who flees persecution by running into the forest with a few supporters. There, she disguises herself as a boy and falls in love.
That’s the long-winded explanation, but, according to director Robin Clipsham, it’s simply “a play about love and how we find love.”
To play the many complicated characters that make up the world of As You Like It, PRISM has a cast of young people in their teens and 20s. Started in 2008 with the express intention of creating a professional theatre experience for young people in the region, PRISM has tackled a wide range of Shakespeare’s plays over the years, including The Taming of the Shrew and The Tempest.
Clipsham believes that the young cast brings an energy and vibrancy to the show that you wouldn’t necessarily get from older actors. She said this year’s cast will more than deliver on audience expectations.
“If you set the bar really high, people will always meet it. I think the danger is we often expect too little,” Clipsham said. “When you know in your heart that people can do it, they start to believe too, and that’s why our cast is so enthusiastic. They are eager and ready for challenges.”
The show is unique in that it’s held outdoors at Annie Williams Park. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and even picnic baskets.
The park is a particularly apt venue for the show due to recent events. In late June, diesel fuel spilled into Annie Williams Park from a storage shed. Clean up of the spill is ongoing. A pervasive theme of As You Like It is how the city intrudes on the natural world.
“We are surrounded by unbounded beauty, and where we choose to play right now, the park, is under stress. It’s under stress from an oil spill, so it’s an interesting reminder of the city and how the man-made comes calling on nature. We’ve got this oil spill in the park in the very time we’re presenting this play about the city versus the country,” said Clipsham.
PRISM Theatre in the Park will be performing As You Like It at Annie Williams Park in Bracebridge at 7 p.m. on Aug. 8 to 11 and Aug. 14 to 16. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $5 for ages six to 13 and are free for those under five. For more information, visit PRISM’s website at prismtheatre.com.

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