Mission Statement:
A "Bash" is a crushing blow. It can be aggressive and done with passion. It can be about making an attempt, going at it all your own. It can also be a wild night.
Shakespeare BASH'd is an actor initiative that seeks to take ownership of their own creativity by producing Shakespeare's plays in social settings, creating a relaxed, exciting environment for the audience.
Their mission is to present Shakespeare's plays as they were written: with simple staging, clear and specific language, and an emphasis on the words and characters telling the story.
Shakespeare BASH'd seeks to synthesize the traditional with the modern, to look at the plays from a place of curiosity, fun, excitement, truth, professionalism, and love.
Shakespeare BASH'd is an actor initiative that seeks to take ownership of their own creativity by producing Shakespeare's plays in social settings, creating a relaxed, exciting environment for the audience.
Their mission is to present Shakespeare's plays as they were written: with simple staging, clear and specific language, and an emphasis on the words and characters telling the story.
Shakespeare BASH'd seeks to synthesize the traditional with the modern, to look at the plays from a place of curiosity, fun, excitement, truth, professionalism, and love.
Core Artistic Team:
James Wallis - Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director
James has been a Shakespeare fan all his life, having performed with Resurgence Theatre Company as a teenager and again as a professional later in his career.
In 2010, James co-founded Shakespeare BASH’d with his wife, Julia. For the company, James has directed staged readings of Romeo and Juliet (2010), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2011), and Edward II (2015), as well as the full productions of Romeo & Juliet, Love's Labour's Lost, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Twelfth Night. He played Petruchio in the company's Best of Fringe winning production of The Taming of the Shrew in 2012 and the remount in 2015, and played Benedick in their sold-out production of Much Ado About Nothing in the 2013 Toronto Fringe.
In addition, here are some of James’ selected theatre credits: A Midsummer Nights’ Dream, Shakespeare’s Magic and The Taming of the Shrew (Theatre by the Bay), Danny, King of the Basement (Roseneath Theatre, US Tour), Sleeping Beauty (Sudbury Theatre Centre), Paradise by the River (Shadowpath Theatre).
James participated in the Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Directing at the Stratford Festival, assistant directing Macbeth, Bunny, and Romeo and Juliet. He will return this year to assistant direct Julius Caesar.
In 2010, James co-founded Shakespeare BASH’d with his wife, Julia. For the company, James has directed staged readings of Romeo and Juliet (2010), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2011), and Edward II (2015), as well as the full productions of Romeo & Juliet, Love's Labour's Lost, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Twelfth Night. He played Petruchio in the company's Best of Fringe winning production of The Taming of the Shrew in 2012 and the remount in 2015, and played Benedick in their sold-out production of Much Ado About Nothing in the 2013 Toronto Fringe.
In addition, here are some of James’ selected theatre credits: A Midsummer Nights’ Dream, Shakespeare’s Magic and The Taming of the Shrew (Theatre by the Bay), Danny, King of the Basement (Roseneath Theatre, US Tour), Sleeping Beauty (Sudbury Theatre Centre), Paradise by the River (Shadowpath Theatre).
James participated in the Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Directing at the Stratford Festival, assistant directing Macbeth, Bunny, and Romeo and Juliet. He will return this year to assistant direct Julius Caesar.
Julia Nish-Lapidus - Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director
Julia is an actor, director, and producer, as well as a Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Shakespeare BASH'd, where she has produced all of the company's productions. She has worked as the Managing Director of Common Boots Theatre and is now part of the team at The Theatre Centre.
For Shakespeare BASH'd, Julia has directed Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, and assistant directed The Changeling. She has also performed in many BASH'd productions, including The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and Volpone (staged reading).
Selected Additional Credits: Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen and This Property is Condemned (Director, The Playwright Project), Modern Love (Co-Creator, Next Stage), As You Like It (Text Coach, Theatre By the Bay), and as an actor OVER, See Bob Run (Theatre Caravel), reasons to the pretty (The Labute Cycle), The Forest (Red One Theatre Collective), Dublin Carol (Fly on the Wall).
Julia is a member of the Advisory Board for the Canadian Stage GYM program and a graduate of the joint acting program at UofT and Sheridan College.
For Shakespeare BASH'd, Julia has directed Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, and assistant directed The Changeling. She has also performed in many BASH'd productions, including The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and Volpone (staged reading).
Selected Additional Credits: Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen and This Property is Condemned (Director, The Playwright Project), Modern Love (Co-Creator, Next Stage), As You Like It (Text Coach, Theatre By the Bay), and as an actor OVER, See Bob Run (Theatre Caravel), reasons to the pretty (The Labute Cycle), The Forest (Red One Theatre Collective), Dublin Carol (Fly on the Wall).
Julia is a member of the Advisory Board for the Canadian Stage GYM program and a graduate of the joint acting program at UofT and Sheridan College.
Catherine Rainville - Associate Artistic Director
Catherine Rainville is an actor, director, and a designer. Shakespeare BASH’d has, over the last four years, become her theatre home and family.
With BASH’d Catherine has performed as Cardinal Pandaulph in King John, The Widow in The Taming of the Shrew, and Katherine in Love’s Labour’s Lost. She has also acted with Shakespeare by the Sea in Halifax as Rosalind in As You Like It, Cordelia in King Lear, and Jenny in the company written musical production of Pinocchio. More Shakespeare: Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and Viola and Sebastian in Twelfth Night with the Classical theatre Project.
Catherine directed the BASH’d production of Hamlet and co-directed The Merry Wives of Windsor. She also was the designer for Twelfth Night and co-designer on King John.
Other design credits include: reasons to the pretty (The Labute Cycle) and assistant on The Public Servant with Common Boots Theatre at the undercurrents festival at the Great Canadian Theatre Company.
With BASH’d Catherine has performed as Cardinal Pandaulph in King John, The Widow in The Taming of the Shrew, and Katherine in Love’s Labour’s Lost. She has also acted with Shakespeare by the Sea in Halifax as Rosalind in As You Like It, Cordelia in King Lear, and Jenny in the company written musical production of Pinocchio. More Shakespeare: Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and Viola and Sebastian in Twelfth Night with the Classical theatre Project.
Catherine directed the BASH’d production of Hamlet and co-directed The Merry Wives of Windsor. She also was the designer for Twelfth Night and co-designer on King John.
Other design credits include: reasons to the pretty (The Labute Cycle) and assistant on The Public Servant with Common Boots Theatre at the undercurrents festival at the Great Canadian Theatre Company.