As You Like It (Canopy Theatre Company)

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts."
(Act II, scene vii)

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PLEASE NOTE

The University of Toronto is closing the Bloor Street Entrance to Philosopher's Walk for construction during the entire run of As You Like It.

Please enter at the South Entrance of Philosopher's Walk, on Hoskin Avenue (just West of Queen's Park).
(see map at bottom of page)

We apologize for this unexpected inconvenience.


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Canopy Theatre Company celebrates its 8th Season of Outdoor Theatre for Downtown Toronto

Shakespeare's Timeless Comedy

As You Like It

directed by Lada Darewych

July 16 - August 2
WEDNESDAYS - SATURDAYS
8pm
House opens at 7:30pm
3 week run (12 performances)

Philosopher’s Stage at Philosopher’s Walk
80 Queen’s Park
(just steps West of Museum Subway station)
"One of Toronto's most unique outdoor theatre environments"

Tickets
Adults $10
Students & Seniors $8
pay what you can Wednesdays (July 16, 23, & 30) (recommended minimum $8)


BYOB - Bring Your Own Blanket
This is an outdoor performance.
Lawn chairs are also welcome around the edge of the seating area.

Featuring Rosalind, arguably Shakespeare's strongest female character, As You Like It explores definitions of female versus male and city versus country - all wrapped in a motley cloak of comedy.

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Celebrating its 8th anniversary of presenting Classical Works in an outdoor environment for downtown Toronto audiences, Canopy Theatre Company, in association with Hart House Theatre, is proud to announce its 2008 Summer Season. Shakespeare's As You Like It will be presented at one of Toronto’s most unique outdoor performance spaces, Philosopher’s Stage at Philosopher’s Walk, from Wednesday, July 16th through Saturday, August 2nd, 2008.

Philosopher’s Stage at Philosopher’s Walk provides the ideal venue for Shakespeare, being open to the air and the stars.

The Canopy Theatre Company is one of Toronto’s premiere showcases for young professionals. This upcoming production marks Canopy’s 8th Season of producing Outdoor Theatre for Downtown Toronto.

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SYNOPSIS

The play is set in a duchy in France, but most of the action takes place in a location called the 'Forest of Arden', which is most likely a toponym for a forest close to Shakespeare's home town of Stratford-upon-Avon. The Oxford Shakespeare edition rationalizes this geographical discrepancy by assuming that 'Arden' is an anglicisation of the forested Ardennes region of Belgium, and alters the spelling to reflect this. Other editions keep Shakespeare's 'Arden' spelling, since it can be argued that the pastoral mode depicts a fantastical world in which geographical details are irrelevant. The Arden edition of Shakespeare makes the suggestion that the name 'Arden' comes from a combination of the classical region of Arcadia and the biblical garden of Eden, as there is a strong interplay of classical and Christian belief systems and philosophies within the play. Furthermore, Shakespeare's mother's name was Mary Arden, and the name of the forest may also be a pun on that.

Frederick has usurped the Duchy and exiled his older brother, Duke Senior. The Duke's daughter Rosalind has been permitted to remain at court because she is the closest friend and cousin of Frederick's only child, Celia. Orlando, a young gentleman of the kingdom who has fallen in love at first sight of Rosalind, is forced to flee his home after being persecuted by his older brother, Oliver. Frederick becomes angry and banishes Rosalind from court. Celia and Rosalind decide to flee together accompanied by the jester Touchstone, with Rosalind disguised as a young man.

Rosalind, now disguised as Ganymede ("Jove's own page"), and Celia, now disguised as Aliena (Latin for "stranger"), arrive in the Arcadian Forest of Arden, where the exiled Duke now lives with some supporters, including "the melancholy Jaques", who is introduced to us weeping over the slaughter of a deer. "Ganymede" and "Aliena" do not immediately encounter the Duke and his companions, as they meet up with Corin, an impoverished tenant, and offer to buy his master's rude cottage.

Orlando and his servant Adam (a role possibly played by Shakespeare himself, though this story may be apocryphal), meanwhile, find the Duke and his men and are soon living with them and posting simplistic love poems for Rosalind on the trees. Rosalind, also in love with Orlando, meets him as Ganymede and pretends to counsel him to cure him of being in love. Ganymede says he will take Rosalind's place and he and Orlando can act out their relationship.

Meanwhile, the shepherdess Phebe, with whom Silvius is in love, has fallen in love with Ganymede (actually Rosalind), though "Ganymede" continually shows that "he" is not interested in Phebe. The cynical Touchstone has also made an amorous advance on the dull-witted goatherd girl Audrey, and attempts to marry her before his plans are thwarted by the intrusive Jaques.

Finally, Silvius, Phebe, Ganymede, and Orlando are brought together in an argument with each other over who will get whom. Ganymede says he will solve the problem, having Orlando promise to marry Rosalind, and Phebe promise to marry Silvius if she cannot marry Ganymede. The next day, Ganymede reveals himself as Rosalind, and since women are not allowed to marry women, Phebe ends up with Silvius.

Orlando sees Oliver in the forest and rescues him from a lioness, causing Oliver to repent for mistreating Orlando. Oliver meets Aliena (Celia's false identity) and falls in love with her, and they agree to marry. Orlando and Rosalind, Oliver and Celia, Silvius and Phebe, and Touchstone and Audrey all are married in the final scene, after which they discover that Frederick has also repented his faults, deciding to restore his legitimate brother to the dukedom and adopt a religious life. Jaques, ever melancholy, declines their invitation to stay in the forest with them and also decides to adopt a religious life.

"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool."
(Act V, scene i)

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ABOUT THE COMPANY

The Canopy Theatre Company is one of Toronto’s premiere showcases for young professionals. Its mandate for its summer Season is to produce Classical Works in an outdoor environment for downtown Toronto audiences. This upcoming production marks Canopy’s 8th Season of producing Outdoor Theatre for Downtown Toronto.

Canopy Theatre Company has had the pleasure of seeing its actors and company members move onto the Stratford Festival of Canada, Halifax’s Shakespeare by the Sea, and American Theatre MFA Programs such as Penn State and the University of Virginia.

Production History
2001 - Julius Caesar
2002 - Antony and Cleopatra
2003 - Coriolanus & Titus Andronicus
2004 - The Merchant of Venice & The Trojan Women
2005 - The Tempest & Electra
2006 - Oedipus Rex
2007 - Much Ado About Nothing

Canopy’s Summer Season is co-produced with Hart House Theatre.

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DIRECTIONS TO PHILOSOPHER'S STAGE

Philosopher's Stage is located on the Campus of the University of Toronto. Situated between the Edward Johnson Building and the Law Faculty Buildings the stage is only accessed by Philosopher's Walk on performance dates.

By Subway

Museum Subway - exit on the West side of Queen's Park, walk south and follow signs located at 80 Queen's Park. To gain access to the audience entrance either walk through the Edward Johnson building or around the building (follow signs).

During construction at Bloor Street (North Entrance), Philosopher's Walk can be accessed at Hoskin Avenue, just West of Queen's Park (South Entrance to Philosopher's Walk).

By Car

Metered parking can be found on Hoskin Avenue, Devonshire Place and Bloor St. For underground parking there is a Green P parking lot on the east side of Bedford Avenue at Bloor St.

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Lada Darewych, Director of As You Like It, invites you to attend the play. (Recorded on July 6, 2008.)

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WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

For patrons attending in a wheelchair or who cannot climb the staircase at the main entrance:

- You may enter through the backstage area (actor's entrance) from 7:30pm up until two minutes prior to curtain.
- The backstage entrance is located at 80 Queen's Park - at the Edward Johnson Building.
- Please inform the backstage personnel when you arrive that you are there to see the performance and you will be escorted through the backstage area to the audience area.
- As with lawn chairs, patrons in wheelchairs will be asked to sit around the edge of the audince area by the wheelchair ramp.

For any accessibility issue or concerns please contact info@canopytheatre.ca

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WEATHER & CANCELLATIONS

As our productions are performed outdoors, weather dictates if a performance can take place. Every effort will be made to start and/or complete every performance. In the event of rain a 15 minute intermission will be taken. If rain persists the performance will be cancelled. All sales are final however patrons who attend a performance that is cancelled or partially cancelled will be given complimentary tickets to another performance in Canopy Theatre Company's Summer Season.

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As You Like It (Canopy Theatre Company)

Philosopher's Stage at Philosopher's Walk
Wed Jul 16 2008, 8:00pm
Thu Jul 17 2008, 8:00pm
Fri Jul 18 2008, 8:00pm
Sat Jul 19 2008, 8:00pm
Wed Jul 23 2008, 8:00pm
Thu Jul 24 2008, 8:00pm
Fri Jul 25 2008, 8:00pm
Sat Jul 26 2008, 8:00pm
Wed Jul 30 2008, 8:00pm
Thu Jul 31 2008, 8:00pm
Fri Aug 01 2008, 8:00pm
Sat Aug 02 2008, 8:00pm


Ticket Sales Begin:
Thu May 08 2008, 11:00am

Ticket Prices:
student - $8.00
adult - $10.00
senior - $8.00

For More Information:
Visit Event Website
E-mail: info@canopytheatre.ca
Phone: (416) 978-8849
Fax: N/A

Venue information, including seating plans & maps.