Shakespeare, M.D. (Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare Collective) 2013 Toronto Fringe Review

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If it weren’t for the smell of jambalaya, I could have been in any doctor’s office – handed a bewildering form and a mostly-expired pen and sent to sit and wait my turn with nothing but a two-year-old issue of Canadian Living for company. The form at Shakespeare, M.D., however, requested a distinctly odd set of details about my astrological sign, personality, and favored snack foods.

At length, I was diagnosed with a Choleric Humour, and given a prescription that required being shut in a small shed with a tall, pretty green-eyed boy who quite compellingly rendered Edmund’s soliloquy from King Lear, Act I, Scene Two (which did indeed improve my humour). Some people’s treatments seemed to take longer and include, among other things, shouting, ukulele, and a small stuffed animal, but we were all given lollipops and urged with great solemnity to finish them all the way down to the stick. I complied.

It’s a charming situation, and I imagine it will become somewhat better organized as the Festival carries on. Meanwhile, you might enjoy dreaming up esoteric sets of symptoms with which to amuse yourself and your caregivers.

 

Details

Shakespeare, M.D is found in the Shed at The Fringe Tent, behind Honest Ed’s, 581 Bloor St

“Treatments” last five to ten minutes, but there may be a wait for diagnosis or for your prescription to be filled.

Wednesday July 3rd, 6:30PM-8:15PM
Thursday July 4th, 6:30PM-8:15PM
Friday July 5th, 3:00PM-5:00PM
Saturday July 6th, 8:30PM-10:15PM
Monday July 8th, 3:00PM-5:00PM
Tuesday July 9th, 8:30PM-10:15PM
Wednesday July 10th, 8:30PM-10:15PM
Thursday July 11th, 3:00PM-5:00PM
Friday July 12th, 3:00PM-5:00PM
Sunday July 14th, 8:30PM-10:15PM

One thought on “Shakespeare, M.D. (Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare Collective) 2013 Toronto Fringe Review”

  1. This was such fun. Like Bear I had to fill in a form but I had a Cosmopolitan (magazine not cocktail) under my form.

    I was diagnosed as having a phlegmatic humour – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_temperaments#Phlegmatic.

    My treatment was in the treatment room. A young woman came in an delivered a sad and frightened farewell speech. She kissed my hand at the beginning and we hugged at the end. I wish I knew what play it was from.

    Bear, do you know enough Shakespeare that you recognized the speech or did you ask? It didn’t occur to me to ask until I got home. Too late then.

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