Shakespeare’s Pericles heralds return of live theatre at UFV

Sailing, shipwrecks and singing pirates. Navigate an epic journey on the high seas with UFV Theatre, live and in-person from March 23-April 2, 2022.

UFV Theatre presents the second production of its 2021-2022 theatre season, Pericles by William Shakespeare, adapted by Anna Griffith and Heather Robertson, and directed by Anna Griffith.

Pericles is a story about a man fleeing a tyrant who takes refuge on the high seas. In an epic tale that travels from port to port, families are fractured by circumstance and loss, but the sea that divides them is also the sea that unites.

Anna Griffith is an interdisciplinary practitioner and an assistant professor of theatre at UFV.

“Pericles is about relationships, perseverance, and overcoming extremely challenging situations,” she says. “Those concepts resonate with the times we are currently living in. One thing that was heightened by the pandemic was how fundamental our need for connection and relationships is. The characters struggle with many of the same things we do today, and in the play, we explore how relationships propel us or change our course in life. But the play is also full of singing, dancing, and even some pirates. It is a really fun piece!”

Audience members can finally look forward to experiencing live theatre again, as Shakespeare’s Pericles will be performed live and in-person at the UFV Abbotsford campus performance studio, with two additional online performances via Zoom.

Pericles by William Shakespeare is adapted by Anna Griffith and Heather Robertson, and directed by Anna Griffith

Pericles features a cast of the following UFV Theatre students: Joshua Balzer (Pericles), Maeggan Palliyaguru (Marina), Makailla Palliyaguru (Simonides), Doris Huang (Bolt), Aimee Payeur (Bawd), Jennifer Steadman (Pander), and Rachel Tait (Dionyza).

The student production crew includes Sarah Byers (set and props), Manroop Khera (hair and makeup), Arty Urdabayev (lighting operator), Jiayi Gao (sound design), Kai Pollock (assistant lighting design and sound operator), Emily Gemmell and Claire Woyke (graphic novel artists), and Hao-Ting Liao (film compositor). Stage management includes Keegan Zaporozan (stage manager), Mia Davison, and Beatrice Jackson (assistant stage managers). Paul Hill is the production’s student assistant director.

Students are mentored by part-time faculty member Matthew Piton, interim production coordinator Heather Robertson, theatre technician Mark Sutherland, and costume designer Vicki Bolan.

Performances:
Early reservations via Eventbrite are encouraged as seating will be extremely limited. All bookings can be made through Eventbrite, and ticket registration ends two hours before the performance start times. To attend a live performance, audience members must show a vaccine passport and answer COVID-screening questions. Performances will be held in the Performance Studio, Building D, 105, Abbotsford Campus, University of the Fraser Valley, 33844 King Road.

Preview: Wednesday, March 23 at 7 pm. Free to UFV students, faculty and staff. By donation for the general public. Preview night seats can be booked by contacting theatre@ufv.ca

All other performances can be booked via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/pericles-tickets-254622902957

Opening night: Thursday, March 24 at 7 pm. $5 for students and seniors. $10 for the general public.

Regular performances:
Friday, March 25 at 7 pm.
Saturday, March 26 at 2 pm.
Thursday, March 31 at 7 pm.
Friday, April 1 at 7 pm.
Saturday, April 2 at 2 pm.
$5 for students and seniors. $10 for the general public.

Zoom performances: Zoom performances will be available on Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2. Admission is free and you can watch it anytime during those dates.

Post-Performance Talkbacks will occur after the Saturday matinees on March 26 and April 2, and promise to enhance audience members’ understanding of the performance.

Email theatre@ufv.ca for questions.