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Repercussions Theatre's outrageous fortune by DAVID GOBEIL TAYLOR
Repercussion Theatre has come a long way since they started in 1988, when they played four shows in front of 800 people. Nine years later, they have seen many Montreal companies--theatre and otherwise--fail, yet Repercussion, the only touring Shakespeare-in-the-Park company in North America, is doing better than most. They have a full-time, year-round office
The secret of Repercussion's success is simple, according to communications director Jim Patrick, responsible for tour booking, fundraising and promotion. "We're hands-off for presenters [usually city arts councils]. All they have to do is pay a portion of our costs and provide us electricity, running water and a park and we do the rest," he says. "We can play Washington, D.C. one night and Westport, New York [pop. 800] the next." Along with their success on stage, Repercussion can boast a new stage system. During the off-season, technical staff spent months consulting designers (including those of the stage at Toronto's SkyDome), then designed and built their own collapsible stage and lighting truss.
Repercussion Theatre presents Romeo and Juliet July 10 (opening night), 12 and 13 and A Midsummer Night's Dream July 11 in Westmount Park. Both plays continue to Aug. 25 at a park near you. Admission by donation (usually). 485-6000 |
How to succeed in Shakespeare
staff and provide jobs to over 30 actors and crew during the summer. After this season--during which they will present 51 performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream and a remount of last year's Romeo and Juliet in 28 cities in Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, New York, Maryland and Washington D.C.--they will have played to over a quarter of a million people.
Repercussion usually asks for a voluntary donation instead of a fixed admission charge which, according to Patrick, can cause problems. "It's not usually audience members who raise a fuss," says Patrick "It's presenters, who are often wary of allowing them to ask for donations at all. This year, a city employee on the West Island was arguing with us about donations." She said, 'Well, you're actors, you've chosen this way of life--you chose to be poor. My son's an actor, and he survives selling cookies.' The response on the tip of my tongue was, 'Well, I guess he's not very good, then.' But in my job I have to be diplomatic."