Shakespeare under the stars is back in Toronto, as Canadian Stage’s ‘Dream in High Park’ returns for its 42nd season with a thrilling production of Romeo & Juliet, a summer staple set against the lush, open-air backdrop of the High Park amphitheatre.
From July 13 to August 31, audiences can settle in with blankets and picnic sets to watch one of the most iconic love stories unfold under the summer night sky.
Directed by Marie Farsi, the production stars Praneet Akilla and Lili Beaudoin as the ill-fated lovers, alongside a dynamic cast.
While the story remains timeless, this production transports the tale of the star-crossed lovers into a unique historical backdrop—set in the 1930s-40s. Despite the shift in time, the core of the play remains untouched.
“It’s very much the classic play we all know and love very much,” Akilla told Now Toronto. “It’s about love at first sight. It’s a universal thing we can all relate to—but the historical setting raises the stakes and grounds it in a reality that still feels familiar today,” he added.
Akilla, a film and television actor with deep theatre roots, says performing outdoors in High Park adds another layer of magic to the experience.
“Storytelling and nature have a very ancient relationship,” he said. “We’re talking about cave people telling stories, with fire and stuff like that. And I think there’s something so natural about storytelling in this way, outdoors.”
This production marks Akilla’s High Park debut, and as a relatively new Torontonian, it’s also his introduction to the space altogether.
Known for his roles on CBC’s “SkyMed,” a high-stakes medical drama where Akilla plays a courageous medevac pilot — he’s no stranger to intense roles. But Romeo offers a different kind of challenge.
“Romeo is impulsive. He leads with his heart more than his brain, and so I think the difference with this character has been just trying to rediscover my inner child, rediscover the playfulness, rediscover what I used to be like before I grew up a little bit,” Akilla explained.
He also hopes audiences see themselves in this story.
“The audience can expect a really beautiful love story. They can expect the love story of all love stories, they can expect a really wonderful commentary on generational warfare, and how we are seeking to undo some of that. Ultimately, it’s about the first time we love. And it’s about how it sort of pervades through everything that we do. And it’s not just romantic love, it’s familial love. It’s love between our friends. It dominates our society, it really does,” he said.
The production also features musical elements not traditionally associated with Romeo & Juliet.
“There is some singing that’s involved. It lends itself so naturally. I think music is such a beautiful way to express love — because it’s so heightened. The euphoria of love is so heightened that just regular words don’t do it enough justice. I think singing is the only way that it sort of unleashes itself. There’s really beautiful Italian classics in here that we sing,” Akilla said.
The ensemble cast includes Matthew G. Brown, Joella Crichton, Daniel Krmpotic, Ziska Louis, Diego Matamoros, Dan Mousseau, Meilie Ng, Asher Rose, Mike Shara, and Michaela Washburn. Akilla praised both the team and the collaborative spirit of the production.
“They’re incredible actors, but more importantly, really generous humans. Our director, Marie, who has given us the room to just play, and just be and figure things out for ourselves with a sort of a gentle guiding hand. And her vision for this is going to be really, really cool.”
Performances will take place Tuesday through Saturday at 8:00 p.m., with new Sunday performances at 7:00 p.m. Audiences are encouraged to bring their own blankets and picnic, or take advantage of on-site concessions.
General admission is $29 plus HST, while pay-what-you-wish rush tickets are available at noon on show days and in person two hours before each performance.
And if you want to go behind the scenes, backstage tours will be offered Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. from July 22 to August 19.
For more details, visit canadianstage.com.
