Shakespeare riffs x3: Tiff’ny of Athens, Heratio and Mechanically Inclined
Three late summer productions use the Bard as a jumping off point; plus: a ticket giveaway to the new Chelsea Woolley play
If you’ve enjoyed some of this summer’s many Shakespeare offerings — like these two at Stratford or this one in High Park — three more plays should please you. They all owe their existence to the Bard; consider them Shakespeare adjacent.
My favourite is Shakespeare in the Ruff’s take on Timon of Athens, adapted by company members Christine Horne and Nathaniel Hanula-James and titled Tiff’ny of Athens (Rating: ✭✭✭✭).
Tiff’ny (Horne) is a wealthy woman who made lots of money early on in her life and has been generous and creative spending her wealth. She’s a patron of the arts, happily supporting painters and writers. But despite the repeated advice of her flustered assistant Flavius (Ben Yoganathan), she’s been irresponsible. When her unpaid bills become overwhelming, and creditors demand payment, all the “friends” whom she’s invited to her extravagant parties disappear.