Philanthropic Phriday 71: A Company of Fools

This week's donation goes to A Company of Fools, often referred to simply as The Fools. I always think of The Fool on my favourite deck of tarot cards when I think of this band of merry men and women. In pre-pandemic times, this terrific troupe would tour Ottawa neighbourhood parks throughout July and August, making Shakespeare plays (mainly comedies) accessible and enjoyable for adults and children alike. Their presentations are a wonderful summer evening activity for young and young at heart families. Economical too - admission is free, with a pass-the-hat at the end. While the format is somewhat abbreviated so that an entire play is presented in a little under 90 minutes, the great soliloquies and quotable lines are always left in. Actors play multiple roles, sometimes more or less traditionally, other times with an interesting twist, such as the year they went with a "tag-team" approach or the year that characters were represented by gardening implements.

During the pandemic, the Fools have been offering events for Long Term Care residents to the extent that Covid restrictions allowed, as well as free online educational workshops for kids:

https://fools.ca/whats-on/

And in September, they will be returning to live theatre with a four-week tour. Their original play Love from Afar is a mash-up of some of Shakespeare's "greatest hits" and I can't wait to see it!