Broad Minds is a non-profit production company dedicated to creating challenging and interesting roles for women in theatre while raising consciousness of women’s issues and celebrating women’s distinction and strength.

With a mandate like that, you can imagine my excitement when my wife produced season’s tickets to Broad Minds’ new season. Sweeping into a role perhaps left behind when many women/feminist groups closed up shop in the early 90’s, Broad Minds is committed to providing support and empowerment for women in theatre.

Their first production this season was a John Murrell play, Waiting for the Parade, which I saw back in September. The small cast of five women did an outstanding job of portraying the roles of those women left at home in Calgary while the men in their lives were off to serve during World War II. The play focused on a common purpose in the lives of these women: Surviving on their own, in a world where pain and adversity weren’t only suffered on the front lines.

Their next production, presented dually with The Shakespeare Company, is Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet, written by acclaimed Canadian writer, actor and playwright, Ann-Marie MacDonald. It is the next in a triad of plays put on by the company this year. Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet has previously won the Governor General’s Award for Drama, and the Chalmers Best Canadian Play award.

The play centres around the character of Constance, a student and lecturer on Renaissance Drama at Queen’s University who also happens to be in love with the professor whom she ghost writes academic papers for. She sets upon deciphering a coded manuscript which seems to be a lost source for both Othello and Romeo and Juliet. Constance finds herself literally thrust into the worlds of both of these plays – ricocheting between tragedy and comedy.

Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet plays December 6-17 at 8:00pm. The December 6th show is following the lead of most major cities who believe in extending the arts to those not in economic fortitude by being a “Pay What You Can” event. All Broad Minds Productions are held at the Pumphouse Theatres.

Tickets are otherwise $20 for adults, $13 for students and seniors, plus facility fees. Group pricing is also available. To order tickets, please call 263-0079.

More information about Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet, or Broad Minds Productions can be found at their website www.broadminds.ca.

Pumphouse Theatres presents
Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet
2140 Pumphouse Ave. SW.
To order tickets, please call 263-0079
www.broadminds.ca