April 11, 2021

Winnipeg
6° C, Light rain showers

Full Forecast

Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription Chat with us
Log in Create Free Account Help Chat with us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • My Account
    • Manage my Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
    • Log in
    • Create Free Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
  • Coronavirus Coverage
  • Replica E-Edition
    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • The Herald
    • The Headliner
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'Wester
    • The Times
  • Above the Fold
  • Front page
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Book Club
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Canada
  • Local
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • World
  • The StarNEW
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Archives
  • Canstar Community News
    • All Canstar Community News
    • The Headliner
    • The Herald
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'wester
    • The Times
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Classifieds
  • Contests
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • Sponsored
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Flyers
  • Homes
    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Newsletters
  • Obituaries
  • Puzzles
  • Photostore
  • More

©2021 FP Newspaper Inc.

Close
  • Quick Links

    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • Above the Fold
    • Home
    • Local
    • Canada
    • World
    • Classifieds
    • Special Coverage
    • Flyers
    • Newsletters
    • Obituaries
    • Photostore
    • Archives
    • Contests
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Content
    • Privacy Policy

    Ways to support us

    • Pay it Forward program
    • Subscribe
    • Day Pass
    • Read Now Pay later
  • Replica E-Edition

    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • The Herald
    • The Headliner
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'Wester
    • The Times

    Business

    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Arts & Life

    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Sports

    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • Opinion

    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor

    Media

    • All Media
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos

    Homes

    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Canstar Community News

    • All Canstar Community News
    • The Headliner
    • The Herald
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'wester
    • The Times
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Coupons

    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
Winnipeg Free Press
Articles Read
Your Balance +tax
Day Pass Till
Day Pass
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Report an Error
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
    • Staff Biographies
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • Log in
    • Create Account
    • Help
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
    • My Account
    • Manage My Subscription
    • Change Password
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
Log in Create Account Contact Us
Contact Us Manage Subscription
  • Sections
  • Local
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Diversions
    • Environment
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Health
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Soccer
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • E-Edition
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
    • All Classifieds
    • Announcements
    • Automotive
    • Careers
    • Garage Sales
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Real Estate
    • Rentals
    • Services
  • Sponsored
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print
    • Ripley's Aquariums
    • The Bay
    • Staples Canada
    • Altitude Sports
    • Nike
    • Tuango
    • Ebay Canada
    • Sport Chek
    • Roots
  • Obituaries
  • Subscribe
Arts & Life Arts & Entertainment The Arts

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Taking the Bard to Bosnia

By: Kevin Prokosh
Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Print
  • Email

Among the mostly Muslim Bosnians, Catholic Croats and Orthodox Serbs who make up the cast of Twelfth Night currently touring Bosnia-Herzegovina is a 20-year-old Winnipegger.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/8/2014 (2423 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Among the mostly Muslim Bosnians, Catholic Croats and Orthodox Serbs who make up the cast of Twelfth Night currently touring Bosnia-Herzegovina is a 20-year-old Winnipegger.

Maclean Boyd is one of three Canadian student actors performing in the multilingual play, produced by Youth Bridge Global, an international non-profit organization that stages theatre in under-resourced areas of the world. The idea behind the initiative is to use theatre to foster friendships among youth of former warring populations.

Maclean Boyd takes a break from the theatre in Mostar, southern Bosnia-Herzegovina.

SUPPLIED PHOTO

Maclean Boyd takes a break from the theatre in Mostar, southern Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The multi-ethnic cast performed twice in Mostar last weekend, in Nik°ic, Montenegro, on Tuesday and then made several stops in Bosnia this weekend.

"We perform in a variety of cities, ranging from Sarajevo (this weekend) to places like Stolac, which were very affected by the war and still have segregated schools," says Boyd, a Riverview resident studying at the University of New Brunswick. "It is important to perform in cities like this because it not only allows the audience to be exposed to live theatre, which is uncommon there, but allows them to see a team of multi-ethnic youth working positively together."

In a place like Mostar, still deeply divided along ethnic lines, the words, "Pursue him and entreat him to a peace," resonate deeply when they are spoken by a Croat Catholic, playing Count Orsino, to a Bosnian Muslim portraying Malvolio. Two decades ago, such a scene would have been unimaginable -- onstage or in real life. Adding to the occasion is that Twelfth Night is set in Illyria, the ancient name for the western part of the Balkan peninsula.

This the sixth Shakespearean production mounted in Bosnia by Youth Bridge Global, which has also staged performances since 2004 in the Marshall Islands, China, Russia and Rwanda. Twelfth Night drew a total of 400 people to the two Mostar dates, which were staged in the ruins of the old city library, an ugly reminder of the war.

"The audience reacted very positively to our show, and loved scenes like the boxtree sequence, which has a lot of physical humour," Boyd says. "I've never seen an audience get so into Shakespeare in Canada, which was exciting to see."

Boyd is studying interdisciplinary leadership at UNB, a program that includes a 10-week internship abroad.

Last year, two of Boyd's roommates went to Rwanda; after hearing about their amazing experience, he wanted in. He approached Andrew Garrod, a former University of Manitoba professor who is directing Twelfth Night.

"Our director speaks of the relevance of Twelfth Night in its relation to gender and sexuality," says Boyd in a recent email exchange. "While (the play is) a comedy, the love triangles and disguised gender have great global significance and, if nothing else, allow our cast and audiences to safely think about how that has an effect on society."

About 60 per cent of the bilingual play is presented in the local language, with the rest performed in Shakespearean iambic pentameter. Boyd is one of 40 in the cast, which ranges in age from 15 to 25, who took part in six weeks of rehearsal. He's also is in charge of all the props and helping to train the performers for the dance numbers that open and close the show.

Stay informed

The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19.

Subscribe to COVID-19 Briefing
Sign Up

"My background in mostly in dance," says Boyd, who performed in the musicals Guys and Dolls and Footloose at Churchill High School. "I have been a traditional Irish dancer with the McConnell School of Dance for 15 years.

"After being taught a traditional wedding dance here by the cast, I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon giving them an Irish dance workshop, and I think that shows what is so special about Youth Bridge Global. It is all about learning from one another and spending time together."

Boyd will be in Bosnia until Aug. 29, and will return to Winnipeg at the end of September.

"I see myself either teaching dance or becoming involved in one of Winnipeg's many arts and cultural festivals, like Folklorama," he says.

 

kevin.prokosh@freepress.mb.ca

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

  • Report Error
  • Submit a Tip
  • Refund

The Winnipeg Free Press invites you to share your opinion on this story in a letter to the editor. A selection of letters to the editor are published daily.

To submit a letter:
• fill out the form on this page, or
• email letters@freepress.mb.ca, or
• mail Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2X 3B6.

Letters must include the writer’s full name, address, and a daytime phone number. Letters are edited for length and clarity.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Top