Published by Communications and Public Affairs 519 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338

News Release

March 08, 2007

U of G Hosts March Break Shakespeare Open House

Families looking for something different to do during March Break are invited to the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre (MSAC) for hands-on Shakespeare-centred activities March 12 to 16 from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is by donation.

University of Guelph students will guide families through the Shakespeare exhibit at 1 p.m. every day, pointing out features such as the famous Sanders portrait, which is thought to be the only painting the Bard actually sat for during his lifetime.

The exhibit is part of the regional “Shakespeare — Made in Canada" festival and is the largest show the art centre has ever mounted.

Families with children of all ages are welcome to explore the Shakespeare Learning Commons on the second floor of the art centre. Visitors can try on actual costumes used in Stratford Festival productions, create Shakespearean masks, perform the Bard’s works, dabble in Claymation, explore artwork forensics, assemble anamorphic art and participate in a scavenger hunt.

Visitors can also be among the first to test out a video game that raises the bar on Flash technology and is a pioneer in educational gaming. 'Speare: The Literacy Arcade Game teaches gamers about literacy within a familiar arcade environment. The 3-D game puts players in a futuristic spaceship that they navigate through a faraway galaxy in search of missing knowledge based on an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.

Other highlights of the exhibit include theatrical set designs, a look at the 17th-century fascination with mathematics, native Canadian adaptations of Shakespeare and the francophone relationship with his plays.

Changes in portraiture from Shakespeare's time to the present are also showcased, and the Donald Forster Sculpture Park offers a unique audio installation that focuses on the continuing influence of the Bard's words. Other displays draw on the Stratford Festival's archives and the U of G Library's Canadian theatre archives.

For more information, contact MSAC at 519-837-0010.