Toronto Lawyers to Star in Shakespeare

From a Press Release
If your lawyer seems unusually hard to get hold of in the next little while, it may all be for a good cause.

“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The Lawyer Show
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Kelly Thornton
Set and Costume Design by Denyse Karn
Stage Managed by Monica Esteves
Starring a cast of 28 Toronto lawyers and legal professionals

June 11 & 12, 2010 at the Berkeley Street Theatre Downstairs

Produced by Nightwood Theatre

Toronto, ON… Nightwood Theatre is proud to present the Toronto premiere of The Lawyer Show. This unique event, which will raise vital funds for Nightwood, sees a cast of 28 lawyers on stage performing in William Shakespeare’s classic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Directed by Artistic Director Kelly Thornton, Nightwood is thrilled to be partnering with Toronto’s legal community on this new fundraising initiative. As Thornton stated in a recent interview with law and style magazine, Precedent, “The most important quality of an actor is intelligence…Lawyers are naturals because they can think analytically and abstractly”; moreover, their profession demands ‘performance’.

The Bard’s original wedding play portrays the adventures of four Athenian lovers, a group of amateur actors and their interactions with the Duke of Athens, his court and the fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest. Under Thornton’s direction, The Lawyer Show’s rendition of this Shakespearean classic is set in the late ‘50s: the play’s fairies, lovers and mechanicals are re-envisioned as beatniks, debutantes and nerds. It’s the rise of the Beat generation, a smoky jazz-infused subculture – where tradition is challenged and gender constructs are shattered (such as a daughter breaking free of her father’s choice of husband): themes well suited to Nightwood Theatre.

Aside from money raised from ticket sales, funds will also be generated from a silent auction. Goodies include: an Ottawa Getaway package; private garden tour by Canada’s gardening guru, Marjorie Harris; luxurious spa experiences; golf packages and more. All proceeds from The Lawyer Show 2010 will go towards enhancing Nightwood’s productions and training programs.

Kelly Thornton, Director
Kelly Thornton is an award-winning theatre director and dramaturg. Since 2001, she has been the Artistic Director of Nightwood Theatre, Canada's national women's theatre. Prior to this she worked in play development at Canadian Stage Company, Factory Theatre and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. She has been directing for the stage for over fifteen years, and has toured nationally and internationally with her work. Ms. Thornton teaches at the National Theatre School of Canada and has been a guest instructor at Graduate Centre for Drama at University of Toronto as well as the Sheridan College Theatre Program. In 2003 she was honoured with the prestigious Pauline McGibbon Award for her outstanding work as a Director and most recently, Ms. Thornton was recognized for her commitment to training and mentorship of young women in the performing arts by being named a 2008 YWCA Woman of Distinction. (Image is The Lawyers by Honoré Daumier)

The Cast
Jonathan Bitidis, LL.B; Brendan Brammall, McCarthy Tétrault LLP; Bonnie Cleary, Bales Beall LLP; Sanjay Desai, Legal Department, Trapeze Group; Anna Gatova, Paterson, MacDougall LLP; Sheila Gibb, Epstein Cole LLP; Barbara Gordon, Lawyer (sole practitioner); Alrica Gordon, Paralegal/Community Legal worker; Peter Hamiwka, Hrycyna Pothemont; Jennifer Hefler, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP; Sarah Huggins, Torys LLP; Danny Kastner, Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP; Michael Kleinman, Cooper Kleinman; Karen Kwan Anderson, Pace Law Firm; Kate Lioubar, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP; Hilary Mack, Epstein Cole LLP; Diane Mason, Mitchell, Bardyn and Zalucky LLP; Cathy Milne, Turnpenney Milne LLP; E. Llana Nakonechny, Dickson MacGregor Appell LLP; Jay Nathwani, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP; Teja Rachamalla, Lawyer; Lisa Robinson, Davis LLP; Paul Jonathan Saguil, Stockwoods LLP; Eve Schwarz, Schwarz Family Law; Randall Telford, Lawyer (private practice); Brent Vickar, Longley and Vickar LLP; Scott Werry, Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP; Kenway Yu, Yu Law Firm

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