This summer Theatre Georgian Bay is very excited to hold its third annual 'Bard on the Bay' outdoor Shakespeare performance at the Shipyards Amphitheatre with As You Like It. After two successful summers of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream, additional performances have been added for this years' show running from July 9 to August 6, 2018 on Sundays and Mondays.
As You Like It is a romantic comedy about a young heroine named 'Rosalind' who flees persecution in her uncle's court to find safety (and eventually love) in the Forest of Arden. Accompanied by her cousin 'Celia', the two are taken on an adventure of mistaken identity, music, dance, hilarity, and romance. Perfect for the entire family, this 
highly engaging piece by Theatre Georgian Bay will entertain Shakespeare lovers and non-lovers alike.
Featuring many familiar faces and some that are new, Theatre Georgian Bay is a locally established, professional theatre company that seeks to bring relevant, thought provoking and affordable theatre to the Georgian Bay region. The Collingwood based company also tours their shows to communities along the Georgian Bay region from Innisfil to Saugeen Shores.
"All of our performances will be offered to the community as a 'pay-what-you-can' event," says Producer, Nadia Mear. "We have created an entertaining show full of love, laughter, song and dance that the entire family can afford to see."
"The majority of our actors are working professionals, but we made a choice early on to include a select number of community roles." says Director, Candy Pryce. "We find that engaging the community encourages those who may be intimidated by Shakespeare to give us a shot. You don't have to be an English Lit major to understand what the actors are saying."
"Choosing not to charge an official ticket price means that the costs of supporting the production have to be covered by sponsorship, fundraising and generosity," continues Mear. "The town of Collingwood has been fabulous with their support yet again this year. This is a true community collaboration. We are a collective. We share the workload and the benefits that come along with putting on a show."
Beyond financial accessibility, Pryce says this version of As You Like It will be easy for the audience to understand. "Our passion is taking complex Shakespearean text and performing it so that even a six-year-old can follow along."
New this year? The Chimi Food Truck will be on-site selling food and refreshments at the audience's leisure before, during and after the show so families can make a night out of it. 'Bard on the Bay' is a BYOC (bring your own cushion/chair) event that happens rain or shine.
source: media release, Theatre Georgian Bay
