Thanks to the generous support of the Class of 1966, 20 students from RMC were able to experience a live play of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, and a performance of the Twelfth Night at the iconic Stratford Festival Theatre.
The group comprised students from a variety of programmes: English, Culture, and Communication; Business Administration; Physics and Space Science; Political Science; History; Psychology; Chemical Engineering; Civil Engineering; and Economics.
The trip also included a private, half-hour question-and-answer period with two actors from Cymbeline, one of whom played a leading role (Posthumous), and a guided tour of the Stratford Festival’s costume warehouse.
My favourite part of the trip was definitely watching Twelfth Night. This is the first ever Shakespeare play I’ve read in school, and being able to see it as a play for the first time in the “Shakespeare” town was pretty magical. The modern touch to the play made me see the story from a different perspective, one that made me feel closer to the characters, which I thought was phenomenal. – OCdt Justine He
My favourite part of the Stratford Trip was seeing Twelfth Night performed for the first time. It is one of my favourite plays and Stratford did an exceptional job. I am very grateful for this opportunity and hope to visit Stratford again soon! – OCdt Olivia Furlong
Ce que j’ai le plus apprécié de notre voyage à Stratford était la pièce Cymbeline. Étant ma première expérience au théâtre, j’ai été émerveillée par les costumes, les décors et l’interprétation des acteurs de leur personnage. Ma scène préférée est lorsque Guiderius prend la tête de Cloten. La surprise et l’humour que dégage cette scène font en sorte qu’elle devienne ma préférée. Je tenais à remercier l’Association des Anciens qui nous ont permis de faire cette activité en dehors des murs de notre école. Je crois que ce voyage m’a permis de découvrir une nouvelle passion pour un art que je ne connaissais que de nom. Merci encore pour ce magnifique voyage et au plaisir de faire partie du suivant. – Élof William Talbot
I thoroughly enjoyed the two plays we got to see in Stratford. I have studied Shakespeare in high school yet this trip has enriched my understanding and appreciation of his work more than ever! – OCdt Monica Iakab
I had a great time on the Stratford trip this weekend. I really enjoyed the costume warehouse and seeing and the props used in StratFest’s productions of SPAMALOT. Additionally, I really enjoyed the first play we saw, Cymbeline. The acting and props were phenomenal. Thank you for such a memorable trip! – OCdt Camden Szumlanski
While meeting and hearing from the actors and touring the costume warehouse were awesome experiences, my favourite part was the plays themselves. I’ve personally never seen live plays at this professional level so it was truly a pleasure to watch the level of skills the actors brought to the plays. Watching something you’ve read come alive in the way the performers become their characters is amazing. My take-away from the trip is that I need to find a way to get to Stratford more often. – OCdt Jasmine Kumar
My favorite part of the trip was doing the talk-back with the actors at the end of Cymbeline. I enjoyed it because it was an opportunity to pick into their minds, and also because of the contrast between seeing them as both characters in a story and as normal everyday people. – OCdt Tristan Baller
It was great to see these plays come to life in person, really helping to understand their appeal more than just reading it off of paper. The costume warehouse tour and talk-back with the actors also helped me learn more about the industry and the people who put in hard work to bring us these amazing performances. – OCdt Andrey Pimkin
Once again, the trip to Stratford with the English department of RMC is a highlight of my year. Watching the plays, visiting the costume warehouse, and speaking to the actors were all wonderful experiences that I will always value. – OCdt Nick Hao
Le voyage à Stratford m’a permis de découvrir un aspect de la langue anglaise auquel je n’avais jamais été exposé auparavant. J’ai fortement apprécié la richesse des dialogues des deux pièces et de la qualité de l’immersion produite par les costumes et la scène en soi. Le théâtre Tom Patterson était tout simplement époustouflant. – Élof Jac-Dahlan Fournel-Vézina
J’ai vraiment aimé ce voyage, car c’est la première fois que je suis allé à une vraie pièce de théâtre avec de vrais acteurs. Ça m’a permis découvrir une nouvelle forme d’art que je n’avais pas prêté attention. Merci beaucoup pour ce voyage j’ai vraiment adoré. – Élof Victor Bachand
I found the trip assisted in broadening both my cultural and historical understanding. The way in which the plays were presented allowed to me further my communication skills as well. – OCdt Dylan Ferris
