I am a dedicated fan of the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival and this year’s performance of Elizabeth Rex once again solidifies my support.
And you probably also know that I am not an expert on describing theatre in the sense that I really understand how all that fancy theatre language really works other than the fact that a performance MOVES me or it does not. And, the Bard on the Beach production of Elizabeth Rex MOVED me.
It was also interesting to note that the opening scene of the play and the closing scene were the ones I most vividly recall.
The opening scene was wild with obscenities and I could not help but look around at the rest of the audience, particularly the significant number of white-haired people in the tent and wonder how they were taking the almost over-the-top, jarring use of obscenities. To me, the language absolutely worked.
And then there was the breath-taking closing scene. The best word I can come up with is that the closing scene was cathartic. Although I am grasping for words here, I know that at the end of the play I felt like myself and the rest of the audience had not taken a breath for an eternity.
If you can, get your butt down to the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival and see Elizabeth Rex. You will not be disappointed.
You can buy tickets to the Bard on the Beach by visiting their website or by phoning them at 604-739-0559. The season typically sells out so call soon. And, they now have reserved seating so there is no more of that lining up business!