The Shakespeare-in-Hospitals 2018 Homecoming Gala;
Home Is Just Another Name For You
5 Dec 2018.

by Drew Rowsome -

A beer blast, with Shakespeare, is the main fundraising tool for the ambitious Shakespeare-in-Hospitals program. Shakesbeers Showdown is a riotous drunken salute to the bard's bawdier side, but after a full season of Shakespeare performed for patients in hospitals across the GTA, the Spur of the Moment Shakespeare Collective (SOTMSC) decided to celebrate and fundraise in a classier, but still riotous, manner.

And so the Shakespeare-in-Hospitals 2018 Homecoming Gala was born.

SOTMSC co-founder Victoria Urquhart rhymes off the events, "Red carpet photos in an absolutely cheesy prom-style, hors d'oeuvres and classy cocktails at our cash bar, proudly sponsored by Amsterdam Brewery. And dancing." But the central event is a new performance piece that Urquhart has been working on Home Is Just Another Name For You. With "Shakespeare and a few other older playwrights" as a starting off point, Urquhart dramatizes the experiences that Shakespeare-in-Hospitals have opened her eyes to.

"For some, visits to the hospital mean leaving home for a long time," says Urquhart. "For others, home is not a location, but a person, or a feeling they share. We close this journey of a season with scenes of who we are and stories from our experiences performing in hospitals. An amalgamation of an in-depth conversation about how we decide on 'Home.'" She adds obliquely, "Henry has the crown. Joan has the plan. Richard has the country. The Dauphin has the law. But what do all these words mean anyway?"

The production features six actors Andrea Cabeza (The Girl In The Photograph), Katerina Hatzenakos, Chanakya Mukherjee, Mark Kreder (The Beaver Den), Cora Matheson and Sharmilla Dey with input from four directors Alexander Franks, Ara Glenn-Johanson (Flooded, Blue Remembered Hills), Richard Beaune and Urquhart herself. All will be sticking around after the pressure of creation and performance to celebrate and party. And in grand SOTMSC tradition, drink beer.

Timothy Ng, who was a last minute addition to the Shakespeares-in-Hospitals troupe - "Someone had stepped out of the position and I took on the role. It was two weeks of rehearsals for me before we started with performances" - is brokenhearted to miss the event, Shakespeares-in-Hospitals was life-changing. "During one of the private room sessions there was a gentleman who didn't know English at all and was requesting a Cantonese speaker. I went in and engaged him in a conversation in Cantonese and he was very happy that someone came in and spoke with him. This was the most touching experience for me."

Dress is semi-formal and the tickets are pay what you can afford, ranging from $15 to $100.