Shakespeare-in-the-Park presents a problem play for the #MeToo era

Shakespeare's Measure for Measure has long been dubbed a "problem play" by scholars, because it sits uneasily between tragedy and comedy.

Amanda Kellock, artistic director of Repercussion Theatre, sees it as a dark comedy that can take on "deeper and more complex subject matter without killing everyone at the end."

"I think in some ways, it's Shakespeare pushing the boundaries of what a comedy could accomplish​," she said.

The play is being staged in green spaces across the island of Montreal and beyond as part of the annual Shakespeare-in-the-Park event.

Kellock said in the wake of the #MeToo movement and a reckoning in Hollywood and politics against men who abuse their power, the connections in the play to the modern context "leap off the page."

When Christine Blasey Ford told U.S. Senators that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in September 2018, Kellock recalls seeing one particular quote from Measure for Measure cropping up repeatedly online.

In the play, a powerful judge, Angelo, propositions a young nun, Isabella. She rebuffs him and threatens to expose him to the public.

He replies: "Who will believe thee, Isabel? / My unsoil'd name, the austereness of my life, / My vouch against you, and my place i' the state, / Will so your accusation overweigh" (4.2).

Essentially, Angelo says that no one will believe Isabella's word against his.

"It doesn't take any effort at all to feel the modern day repercussions," said Kellock.

She said the world of the play is one that features "very strict approaches to sexual morality" where sex before marriage is punishable by death.

"It's a moment in time where the world suddenly shifts," she said. "The Handmaid's Tale became a useful point of reference for the cast."

Matthew Kabwe, a Shakespeare-in-the-Park veteran who plays the role of the Duke of Vienna, said the parallels between today and 16th century England are impossible to ignore.

"One of the interesting things about Shakespeare is that somehow, magically, he was 400 years ahead of everyone," said Kabwe.

"It's really amazing how what he was writing about 400 years ago, not only applies to today, but predicts today."

"The big thing for the last year and a half has been the #MeToo movement, and this speaks to that really directly," he said.

Preserving the surprise

For Kellock, the lesser known nature of Measure for Measure is huge bonus that she doesn't plan to waste.

"We never get the chance to surprise people with the plot," she said, adding that with shows like Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet, many audience members come in with knowledge of what it's going to be about.

That's why she's keeping details about her production of Measure for Measure under her hat.

"I don't want to deprive people of the pleasure of discovering the play as it goes," she said.

In all, there will be 27 outdoor, pay-what-you-can shows until Aug. 11.

Kellock says with outdoor theatre, the technical challenges don't always outweigh the performance ones.

"Out here, if you as a performer are not more engaged or interesting than the dogs playing in the dog park next door, then the audience is going to look elsewhere."

Luckily, all the hard work that goes into staging these plays eventually pays off.

"There is something incredibly special, once the sun has gone down and the lights are up near the end of the play, when there is a moment where the audience is just completely focused on what's happening and you can sense the stillness and the focus," she said.

"That's one of the most unbelievably magical gifts that outdoor theatre can provide."

Find a full list of scheduled performances here. Information about the company's rain cancellation policy here.