I鈥檓 a PhD Candidate in the Department of English and I research Shakespearean metatheatre in live performance. This summer, I worked as an Academic Consultant on Repercussion Theatre鈥檚 Shakespeare-in-the-Park 2024 production, Infinite Variety, a variety show exploring the many ways that artists and audiences can play with Shakespeare鈥檚 writing through poetry, song, and dance.
I鈥檇 encountered Repercussion Theatre鈥檚 work through my supervisor, Prof. Paul Yachnin, who arranged this opportunity for me with knowledge of my research in metatheatre (a dramatic feature invested in audience participation). Prof. Yachnin had worked with Repercussion before, collaborating with the company鈥檚 Artistic Director, Amanda Kellock, who directed and performed in Infinite Variety. Prof. Yachnin also knew of my previous work in theatre as a stage manager and performer and thought that my combination of academic and artistic experience could be of benefit to the company, as well as of benefit to my ongoing research into how performers of Shakespeare engage with audiences.
Going into my internship with Repercussion, I wanted to gain experience through witnessing the work of a contemporary theatre company producing the plays of Shakespeare. Repercussion has a strong foundation in Montreal (this year was their 36th summer producing Shakespeare-in-the-Park) and I was eager to learn more about their logistical and creative processes, especially in building an entire script from scratch. Repercussion traditionally produces an existing play by Shakespeare every summer, but this year, Amanda and her collaborator, Nick Carpenter, wrote an original musical production in the space of just a few months. A strong focus in Repercussion鈥檚 mission is making the works of Shakespeare accessible to audiences across Montreal, and Amanda and Nick鈥檚 goal in making Infinite Variety was specifically to explore our ideas and assumptions about Shakespeare, especially for those who don鈥檛 鈥済et鈥� the Bard or find his works impenetrable.
As a researcher and course lecturer in Shakespeare, I felt that Repercussion鈥檚 overall mission and their particular mission for Infinite Variety were strongly aligned with my own beliefs: that Shakespeare is a beautiful part of our cultural inheritance, as well as a gift that is to be shared and enjoyed by readers and audiences from all backgrounds. In my role on Infinite Variety, I helped Amanda, Nick, and the company鈥檚 text coach, Bryan Doubt, in the initial script brainstorming sessions, discussing their aims for the show and how we could shape its narrative arc. After helping with these sessions in May, I attended daily rehearsals in June at the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts, working as needed with the show鈥檚 four actors (Gitanjali Jain, Elly Pond, Maria Jimenez, and Jake Cohen) to offer historical context and conduct additional research for the writing of the script. I also led a workshop in rehearsals on medieval and Renaissance metatheatre, discussing the importance of the actor-audience relationship throughout Shakespeare鈥檚 plays and theatre history. Leading up to the opening of Infinite Variety on July 11, I attended outdoor rehearsals with the company in Cote-St-Luc, helping Repercussion鈥檚 Artistic Associate, Sam Bitonti, prepare Shakespearean text for pre-show audience activities. Two moments throughout the process stand out as highlights: collaborating with the actors in rehearsal to block out a 鈥淪hakespearean Insult-Off鈥� game-show segment in which audience members are invited onstage, and stepping in as a guest performer to present Hamlet鈥檚 鈥淭o be or not to be鈥� soliloquy in a monologue competition with actor Jake Cohen during the performance at Parc Philippe-Laheurte.
My time working with Repercussion Theatre went very smoothly and thankfully I didn鈥檛 encounter any major challenges! One area that required some navigation was the extent of my creative contributions as Academic Consultant 鈥� I recognized throughout the process that I brought a specific knowledge base to the room as a Shakespeare 鈥渆xpert鈥�, but this also meant that I needed to be respectful of Amanda and the actors鈥� artistic authority, as well as their greater experience in intuiting what would work well on stage. At times I noted that my theoretical knowledge (for example, something technical about a part of Shakespeare鈥檚 history) was, while accurate, not necessarily going to serve the creative ends of communicating an onstage moment to the audience. It was important for me to discern when to step in and when to step back, appropriately using my expertise to help, not hinder, the creative process. Working with Repercussion Theatre this summer has given me a deeper appreciation for the creative gifts of theatre artists and has helped me see how Shakespearean metatheatre comes to life through playfulness, experimentation, and collaboration.
