Arts & Culture
Richmond’s Jason Sakaki (left) stars with Joel Wirkkunen and Charlie Gallant in
Photo by Tim Matheson
Local actor shines amid myriad of stars at Bard
Steveston resident Jason Sakaki shines in his Bard on the Beach premier. The young actor plays an actor, albeit an incompetent one, with skill and grace in “Shakespeare in Love”.
Steveston resident Jason Sakaki shines in his
Bard on the Beach premier. The young actor plays an actor, albeit an
incompetent one, with skill and grace in “Shakespeare in Love”.
As Sam, the young wanna-be actor in an
Elizabethan acting company, Sakaki is cast by none other than William
Shakespeare to play Juliet.
In a day when women were never allowed on the
stage, young men played the women’s parts. As the bumbling youth, Sakaki is
convincing. When dolled up as a young lady to play the romantic lead in this
play within a play, he is gorgeous.
Sakaki’s love of acting started young. He
credits his Grade 7 teacher, Bob Riddell, at Westwind Elementary.
“He
emphasized the importance of arts in education. In the two years I had him as a
teacher, we did about six or seven plays, and they really made learning
exciting for me,” Sakaki says.
Amid a company of seasoned professionals.
This young actor held his own.
The play, “Shakespeare in Love” is Mark
Norman and Tom Stoppard’s movie script adapted to the stage by Lee Hall.
Stoppard and Hall’s script deservedly won a
best original screenplay Oscar. Hall is known for his work in movies while
Stoppard writes intelligent, witty stage scripts that often poke fun at genre
norms, while Hall wrote the movie, “Billy Elliott.” With such a block buster
writing team the script is flawless. Humour abounds while pathos and love
definitely show their hands.
At the other end of the experience spectrum
from Sakaki, is Scott Bellis as Henslowe. This 30-year veteran of Bard on the
Beach notes the progress in what has become Western Canada’s largest
Shakespeare festival.
He remembers that first season: “We did
everything. We put up the tents; worked the box office, hung the lights. We
slept overnight to guard the equipment. We got rained on a lot.”
His dedication has paid off. Not only is Bard
on the Beach a thriving success that has become a destination event for people
from around the world, Bellis shows his honed craft as an actor from the moment
he takes the stage.
As a hapless theatre producer, facing
financial ruin and certain mutilation at the hands of his former backers,
Bellis’s Henslowe is utterly engaging and convincing.
The casting in this production is perfect.
Everyone rings true. From the moment he walks on stage as Will Shakespeare,
Charlie Gallant is the Bard.
Ghazal Azarbad as his love interest, Viola—and
as an aspiring actor in a man’s world—is acting perfection.
Kit Marlowe, played by Austin Eckert, is
another stand-out. In fact, each of the cast offers utterly convincing and
engrossing performances. With a large cast, it means too many to name in this
review, but all are stellar. Including, Kingsley and Porkchop sharing the role
of Spot the dog.
Peppered throughout the play are little bon
mots that presage plays this fictional Will Shakespeare has yet to write.
At one point, evicting the dog, we hear, “Out,
damned Spot.” A line that later will rear its head as Lady Macbeth, in the
Scottish play, tries to cleanse her hands and her soul after inspiring a foul
murder.
The lighting, the set, the costumes, the
sound, and the music are all skillfully sumptuous. The movements, the blocking
and the fights are masterful.
This production shows the deep history and
skills of everyone involved. For the newer cast members, it is a master class
of the highest order.
Sakaki says, “I was exposed to theatre at a
pretty young age, and was always enamoured by the magic of it. I got my start
on the Gateway stage in 2013, and ever since I’ve pursued every opportunity I
could to make performing into a full time job.”
If his turn in this play is any indication,
this RA McMath Secondary grad’s odds look very good.
Go to see a young Steveston resident in his
Bard debut. Go for the humour. Go for the quality. Go for the spectacle but
definitely go see “Shakespeare in Love” at Bard on the Beach that runs through
Sept. 18. For tickets information go to https://bardonthebeach.org/tickets/
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