A move meant a purge for Vancouver鈥檚 annual Bard on the Beach Shakespeare festival, which, in turn, equaled incredible deals on stage costumes for the public this past weekend.
Ball gowns with dipped bodices and accordion skirts, feathered and sequined hats, a jumble of well-worn shoes, some still with the actors鈥� names taped inside (Bob Frazer鈥檚 was spotted in a pair of oxfords) were all emptied out of the festival鈥檚 warehouse for the second annual sale.
The Bard on the Beach Society abandoned its mish mash collection of buildings located all over the city last month to centralize in one place in Southeast False Creek, a huge space shared with the Arts Club, with rehearsal studios, offices and storage.
So, what better time for Bard on the Beach to air out some of its costumes, and give them new life?
Amy MacDougall is the head of wardrobe for Bard on the Beach, and, with about five minutes before doors opened Saturday for costume-seekers lined up around the building and around the block, she flipped through the hangers with the familiarity of going through her own wardrobe at home.
鈥淭his is from Titus at Bard, here we have Romeo and Juliet, this one is from The Playhouse,鈥� she said as she pulled out the waist of an ornate gown. Its label was from the defunct 麻豆传媒映画Playhouse Theatre Company production Love for Love, which ran from 1979 to 1980, a remnant from when Bard inherited the company鈥檚 costumes after it folded in 2012.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got contemporary stuff, and a lot of stuff from a wide range of shows anywhere from 20 years ago to a couple years ago,鈥� MacDougall added. 鈥淢ostly we鈥檙e getting rid of it either because it鈥檚 a very specific costume piece or it鈥檚 something that is at the point of wearing out and won鈥檛 last a show鈥檚 run.鈥�
In other words, costumes are perfect for Halloween. Or amateur theatre. Or even, Burning Man, which is the reason Lauren Ham and Mikaela Davis waited in line for almost three hours before the sale鈥檚 start.
The prices were good 鈥� five dollars for shoes at the bottom end and 40 dollars for the fancy gowns at the top. Last year the sale raised almost $6,000 and funds raised go towards the society鈥檚 growing Bard Education department.
Mary Hartman, Bard鈥檚 director of education, and Rhea Shroff, Bard鈥檚 education manager, helped out with the sale and said they were thrilled with the possibilities recent changes have presented. A building where costume fittings can be done down the hall, instead of across town; rehearsal space for the Young Shakespeareans workshops for children and teens; and being able to host Bard Unbound, a workshop for local teachers who want to brush up on their Shakespearean theatre techniques.
鈥淪hakespeare can be really intimidating for students and teachers,鈥� said Hartman. 鈥淓ven the most passionate teachers can sometimes feel a little hamstrung by a sense of propriety when it comes to Shakespeare 鈥� 鈥業 have to live up to Shakespeare, I have to do Shakespeare justice, I have to do Shakespeare in the right way.鈥� My hope is that we can free the teachers as there is really no right answer when it comes to Shakespeare.鈥�
Hartman鈥檚 interest in Shakespeare started when she was 13 and cast as Cobweb in A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream, which, incidentally, was Bard on the Beach鈥檚 first production in 1990. Before moving to 麻豆传媒映画with her family, she was the director of education at Shakespeare & Company in Massachusetts where she also trained and directed.
The Bard Education stable also includes post-secondary training (Riotous Youth), interactive workshops in 麻豆传媒映画school classrooms (Bard in the Classroom), a partnership with community organizations to give marginalized youth the opportunity to explore language and ideas through Shakespeare performances (Bard in Your Neighbourhood), a recreational theatre program for adults (Bard for Life), as well as a bursary fund for young actors along with subsidies to 12 schools to give them the opportunity to experience Bard in the Classroom.
鈥淲e believe in Shakespeare so much that you have to live it and experience it for yourself and make it your own,鈥� said Hartman. 鈥淲e believe in giving Shakespeare to everybody 鈥� and I mean children, teens and recreational programming for adults as well 鈥� and giving them permission to let it resonate for them. Shakespeare was such an elastic writer... So that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e still doing Shakespeare after 400 years, because we haven鈥檛 finished with him yet.鈥�
So if you happen to see an influx of Violas, Macbeths and King Lears this Halloween, know that there鈥檚 another story behind those costumes, one that helped a local theatre company spread the good word.
@rebeccablissett
