Measure for Measure in Barracks Square

Measure for Measure, Shakespeare’s “problem comedy,” is an enigmatic tale wrought from the materials of tragedy, offering a frank and remarkably contemporary treatment of love and lust, gender and power, and the inscrutable complexities of the human heart. As the Duke of Vienna leaves town he puts his strict deputy, Angelo, on a collision course with his own desires when Isabella, a young nun, pleads for her condemned brother’s life. As Angelo falls for her and makes a scandalous proposition, Isabella refuses his advances and precipitates a crisis that the scheming and manipulative Duke steps in to help her resolve – but in ways that make us question his own motives.

Staged in the shadow of the Justice Building and set in the 1960s, a time of fast-changing mores around sexuality and personal freedom, this new production of a fascinating play is also inspired by its relevance to our time. As it wrings corruption and bawdy humour from Vienna’s courtrooms and seedy underworld, Measure for Measure emerges as Shakespeare’s #MeToo play: sexual coercion, abuse of authority, and the limits of justice and mercy are just some of the 21^st-century issues it explores. Join us at the Barracks for a rollercoaster of a story that is as entertaining as it is provocative.

Read on for full show details below!

Show dates and times: Measure For Measure

Evening performances (7:30 PM):

Friday, June 21 (Pay-What-You-Will preview)

Sunday, June 23

Wednesday, June 26

Friday, June 28

Wednesday, July 3

Friday July 5

Matinee performances (2 PM):

Sunday, June 30

Sunday, July 7

Run time: Approximately two hours 30 minutes, including one fifteen-minute intermission.

Seating and accessibility: All seating is general admission with patrons seated in lawn chairs (bring your own or we can supply one). Audience remains stationary through the show, and performances are fully accessible.

Show dates and times: A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Odell Park

Measure For Measure will be running in repertory with our second production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Odell Park, which will be performed on the following dates:

Saturday, June 22 (pay-what-you-will preview performance)

Tuesday, June 25

Thursday, June 27

Saturday, June 29

Sunday, June 30

Tuesday, July 2

Thursday, July 4

Saturday, July 6

Sunday, July 7

All performances begin at 7:30 PM, but patrons should arrive at the park by 7:15 or earlier to allow time to buy tickets and make it to the play’s starting point. Good walking shoes, clothing for all weather possibilities, a flashlight, and a blanket to sit on are recommended.

Run time: Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

Twinbill Shakespeare Sundays!

Are you up for the challenge? In town for only a short time? A true Shakespeare fanatic? Curious to see how many of the same actors handle performing two Shakespeare plays in one day? Join us on Sunday, June 24 or Sunday, July 7 at 2 PM for Measure for Measure in Barracks Square and at 7:30 PM for A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Odell Park. If you see both plays in one day, there might just be a special reward for you!

Tickets: Tickets are available at the door at our box office in Barracks Square, or can be purchased in advance online from our website. Tickets available per performance: 80.

Ticket Prices:

Single Tickets

Regular performances: $20 regular, $15 for Seniors and the Un/Underwaged, $12 for Students (valid student i.d. required). Children 9 and under are free. Family pass $50 (any group of 3 or 4 related persons including at least one student).

Pay-what-you-will performances: For our June 21 performance of Measure For Measure and June 22 performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream the ticket price is up to you!

*Note: Advance tickets purchased online are subject to a $1 (per ticket) service fee.

Other ways to save:

Twinbill Passes: Attend any regular performances of both Measure for Measure and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with one of our twinbill passes and your second show is half price! Twinbill passes are priced at $30 Regular, $22 Senior/Un/Underwaged, and $15 Student, offering a big savings over the price of two single tickets. Passes can be purchased at the door of either production. They cannot be purchased in advance online, but any single ticket purchased online can be converted into a twinbill pass at the door of either production with a cash purchase of your half-price second ticket.

Group Rates: Groups of five or more will save $3 per person in the group. Please reserve your group tickets in advance by emailing nbacts@unb.ca to indicate the names of the people in your party and the performance you plan to attend.

*FAQ: What is a preview? It’s the final dress rehearsal for the play and first time with an audience for the show, allowing the cast and crew a chance to make final adjustments to the performance.)

*FAQ: What is “Un/Underwaged”? If you would like to see the show but owing to your employment/financial situation you feel you cannot afford the full ticket price and would appreciate a small discount, you can identify as such, no questions asked.

Ticket purchases at the door (near the entrance to Barracks square at the corner of Carleton and Queen streets) are cash only. Advance tickets must be purchased for a specific performance. Audience numbers will be capped in the range of 80, a generous number that should preclude sellouts; however, buying advance tickets or showing up early is advisable on fair weather nights in particular. For information on ticket availability, email nbacts@unb.ca or phone 478-1288.

Advance tickets purchased for rained-out performances can be used for subsequent shows or returned for refund (call or email us to arrange your refund). If rain forces the cancellation of a performance already in progress, audience members can use their ticket stub for free admittance to a subsequent performance, or can opt for a ticket refund if the stoppage occurs prior to intermission. For more on our weather policy, see below.

What to Bring: A lawn chair to sit on. Raincoat and hat if threat of rain. And bringing your own insect repellent is never a bad idea, as the odd mosquito has been known to inhabit Barracks Square.

What Not to Bring: Your dog. You love him; we probably would too. But audience members will be at close quarters, and for the safety and comfort of all involved, we ask you to leave Fido at home. For the same reason please don’t bring a lot of stuff—it will take up limited audience space. And please no smoking during the show.

Is it Suitable for the Kids? Measure for Measure, more than most Shakespeare plays, engages with adult themes – characters include a prostitute, a pimp and an executioner, and the main plot involves coerced sex and a death sentence. Depending on your and your children’s level of comfort with such material, you might want to leave younger ones at home, but teenagers should find the story and the issues it raises engaging.

Where to Find Us: For the information of our out-of-town visitors, Barracks Square is located in downtown Fredericton at the corner of Carleton and Queen streets.

Food and Drink in the Square: Bard in the Barracks will operate a small concession stand at the show offering some basic snacks and beverages.

Our rainy weather policy and procedures: Every effort will be made to avoid cancelling the show. We cancel performances very rarely, and only in case of sustained rain or threat of thunderstorms at show time. Rain earlier in the day (provided it is not torrential) will not cause show cancellations. The play will go ahead in case of intermittent light rain/drizzle, so audience members are encouraged to dress appropriately.

Because we try to avoid cancellations, decisions on whether to proceed with the show will sometimes not be made until quite close to show time (around 7 PM). For updates on show status, please call our office at 458-7406, or our company cell phone (478-1288). Weather-related show updates will also be sent out via Twitter (follow us: @BardBarracks), FaceBook, and posted on this website.

In the event of our final performance or performances being rained out, additional performances may be added to the run. Check this site for updates. Better yet, come see the show early on to avoid rainout heartbreak!

Questions? Contact us at (506) 458-7406 or nbacts@unb.ca. Bard Artistic Director Len Falkenstein can be reached at lfalken@unb.ca.