2002 SEASON    

William Shakespeare's
Romeo & Juliet

York Shakespeare Festival
July 19 to August 20, 2002

A full scale professional production of Shakespeare’s romantic masterpiece, directed by multi-award winner Chris Abraham.

"A director who has burst onto the national theatre scene, Chris Abraham has revealed a bold taste for the experimental and a firm hand with his actors in everything from the European avant-garde to new Canadian plays." - The Globe & Mail-Young Leaders.

In a world obsessed with bitter feuds and ancient grudges, two teenagers fall in love at first sight. They attempt to defy the rivalry of their warring families and even the stars themselves in their innocent quest to be together.

An impassioned look at prejudice, romance, youthful viloence and fate, Shakespeare's beloved masterpiece carries us from moments of happiness and laughter to tears and sorrow.

Photo: Michele Monteith as Juliet, and Matthew Fyfe as Romeo.

William Shakespeare's
The Tempest

York Shakespeare Festival
August 6 to September 1, 2002

Shakespeare’s magical fantasy, set on a remote island, will actually be staged on an island in the middle of Fairy Lake with the audience adrift off shore! Promising to be a production like no other, The Tempest is directed by multi-award winner Chris Abraham.

"Chris Abraham is an imaginative, inventive and daring director. One of the city’s most promising and original young theatre artists." - The Toronto Star

On a remote desert island, Propsero, the exiled Duke of Milan and a self-taught sorcerer, has raised his only daughter in quite seclusion. When the opportunity arises for him to settle the score with the brother who usurped his crown, the aging wizard finds he must make a choice between revenge and redemption.

Fairies and island creatures abound in this rare production that will surely prove an unforgettable experience for the entire family, under the stars at Prospero's island.

Photo: David McIlwraith as Prospero.

2002 SEASON