Hear ye, hear ye! Withrow Park is coming alive yet again this year with a new work from Shakespeare in the Ruff. Behold the comedically tragic story of Tiff’ny of Athens: witness this wealthy influencer’s fall from grace right before your eyes. Expertly adapted by Nathaniel Hanula-James and Christine Horne, and deftly directed by Patricia Allison, Tiff’ny of Athens is a testament to Shakespeare in the Ruff’s legacy and body of work.

For those who might not be familiar with the story, Tiff’ny is a wealthy woman in Athens, she throws lavish parties, buys art and poetry, and always ensures that her friends are taken care of. One day, her steward, Flavius, informs her that her money has all run out: most of her land has been sold, and what’s left doesn’t even begin to cover one of the debts she owes, forget about the rest. Tiff’ny implores the other wealthy folk of Athens to help her so she can pay off her debtors, but she comes up empty-handed. Fed up with the world, Tiff’ny abandons her old life and runs out into the wilderness, only to find further treasure which she desperately tries to give away. Though she’ll never return to her former life, Tiff,’ny has certainly learned a lesson she won’t soon forget.

Nathaniel Hanula-James and Christine Horne have done an impressive job distilling Shakespeare’s text into an easily-digestible 75 minute show. They’ve included moments of modern prose amongst Shakespeare’s text and their own devised blank verse. When the facade of the poetry is taken away, we feel moments of raw emotion, and while you can feel the difference in how they’re speaking, it all somehow flows together as if this is how the story was initially written. They’ve even gone so far as to ensure that they’ve given the titular character a name which scans the same as the original! I love seeing this level of detail and dedication put into an adaptation. What’s more is that they’ve included references to others of Shakespeare’s works within the text, often having the performers state which show the quote is from. This is brilliant as everyone is able to be in on the joke, and these quick moments of direct address make for sneaky bits of comedy as well.

The thespians actually start the play off with direct address, telling the audience some of the essential pre-show notes like turning off our phones and whatnot, but also helping to set the scene for this adaptation. They do so from an improvised stage between two large trees in the heart of Withrow Park. With a few brightly painted boxes, a sort of tarp to cover the ground, and a string of lights, Athens (or here or anywhere) comes to life. A few key props and costume pieces help us keep track of the various characters the thespians take on. Amelia Blaine and Julia Kim have done a fabulous job in bringing this vibrant world to life. Though the production might be “ruff around the edges” (a glorious pun made by the thespians off the top of the play) in terms of its outdoor location and simple, yet beautiful design, there is nothing rough about the ingenious text and moving performances on display.

Co-adapter Christine Horne stars as Tiff’ny, and she gives a deeply moving performance. She’s got a magnetism which makes it so that you can’t keep your eyes off of her, and her emotional turmoil at the end of the play is expertly embodied. Ben Yoganathan plays Flavius, and he’s a great foil for Horne’s Tiff’ny. Ever cautious and level-headed, Yoganathan also brings a vulnerability and kindness to the role. Warona Setshwaelo’s Apemantus (a cynical podcaster in this version) is hilarious, and adds such a different level to the production. Lucy Hill plays a wide range of characters and tackles each one with the same vivacity and tenacity. All of them have beautiful mastery of the language, and they make the entire play feel joyous.

I want to quickly give a shout-out to the Shakespeare in the Ruff folks, as I saw them put their accessibility offerings to the test at the performance I attended. Seated behind me there was a lady who wasn’t fully sighted, and before the show began, Nathaniel Hanula-James took her up to the stage and let her feel the set and some of the props. At the beginning of the show, the cast describes themselves and their attire, as well as the various costume and voice changes they’re going to make during the show. They’d also frequently make reference to what they were holding or if they were sitting or moving, which didn’t feel forced, just like a part of the show, yet it allowed us to follow their movements audibly as well. These measures don’t take up a great deal of time, yet they make such a huge difference in the accessibility of the show and in being able to welcome in an even wider audience.

Tiff’ny of Athens is proof positive of how and why Shakespeare is still done today; by taking The Bard’s words and bringing them into the now, we can easily see how little we’ve truly changed. Though Tiff’ny’s story is rife with betrayal and loneliness, it’s also full of hope and potential: that those of us watching will be able to avoid the same fate.

Tiff’ny of Athens runs in Withrow Park until August 31. For more information and tickets, visit: https://shakespeareintheruff.com/

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Cover Photo: Warona Setshwaelo, Christine Horne, and Lucy Hill. Photo by Mike McPhaden.

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