Eidola - Gender Role Playing

This show takes place at Granville Island’s public waterpark. No, the water is not running. Instead, the dormant yellow waterslide, the rolling cement hills, the intricate playground apparatuses, all are host to a conference of William Shakepeare’s favourite female characters. Sounds interesting? There’s more. 

Twenty some odd audience members are split into three groups and then led around the landscape by their Pixie Captain. The aim of the Pixie Captain is to illuminate female/lesbian/queer/trans perspective in Shakespeare’s drama. Only once all of Shakespeare’s female characters are liberated from their subordinate gender roles can anyone go home.

If my description of the show sounds a bit like I’m reading off the rules to a role playing game, that’s because the show’s drama is largely dependent on the audience’s willingness to go places and physically engage with actors. If this makes you anxious, don’t despair. The interactions are short and the Pixies are always on standby - I assume to help audience members with performance anxiety.

Individual highlights include: Viola, disguised as Cesario, perched within a jungle gym, violently trying to convince herself that lying to Olivia about her gender is the best thing for her own happiness; and Cleopatra, holding court over an enormous crane excavator shovel, spitting a rap about how there should be more women in positions of power. Word.

At the end of the night we sang a song and all of womankind was liberated. Well, not really. But
it sure was something special. 

NOTE:  All proceeds from this show go towards a local women’s charity.