Christopher Gaze, artistic director, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Vanier Park, Vancouver: June through September

Note: this interview took place in July 2008. To find out about Bard on the Beach's current season, visit www.bardonthebeach.org

"It was something that was in the air in Vancouver and someone needed to do it." That's how Christopher Gaze, artistic director of the wildly successful Bard on the Beach, remembers the beginnings of the annual Shakespeare festival 19 years ago. In its first season in 1990, the festival drew just 6,000 people and presented one play (A Midsummer Night's Dream) over four weeks. Today, Bard on the Beach is one of Vancouver most significant cultural events, presenting four plays in two tented theatres over four months. Last year the company sold out every single seat and 86,000 people came to the red and white tents to watch the fun. For the past few years, Gaze, a classically trained actor, has been involved in directing and company management. But this year, Gaze will be centre stage starring as King Lear.

Bard on the Beach was 100% sold out last year. What makes the festival so popular among visitors and locals?
It's a true celebration of being in Vancouver - enjoying a first-class cultural event, overlooking the mountains, the ocean and the sunset. And you're there to see Shakespeare - there's no better storyteller. He's the best.

What is the Bard experience?
I think that the quintessential Bard experience is to make an evening of it. Get your picnic, come down early, get in the line-up, and talk to people in line. When the Bard village opens, patrons choose their own seat and wander about with a glass of wine (that you can take into the theatre). This year we're also offering picnics that you can order ahead of time.

Bard is known for attracting Vancouver (and Canada's) best actors and directors. Why do they keep coming back?
Because we've created an opportunity for people to perform at their best in a place that people want to come to. As a performer or director, there is nothing more heartwarming than playing to a full house. People get well-celebrated, their work is seen by thousands, and it's a very fun place to work. It's a big family. That's why people come back year after year.

Bard on the Beach presents each summer in Kitsilano's Vanier Park, adjacent to Vancouver's downtown core. Productions are staged in open-ended tents on the waterfront against a spectacular backdrop of mountains, sea and sky. Performances run Tuesdays through Sundays, with matinees on selected weekends and weekdays.

www.bardonthebeach.org.

July 2008