Love From Afar : Shakespearean Mashup Digital Comic by A Company of Fools

In these strange and unusual times, Ottawa Public Library is thrilled to partner with Company of Fools to offer an exciting alternative to live theatre. Love from Afar, a completely original Shakespearean mashup!

• The video will be available for a limited duration, from Monday, October 5th through October 29th and runs for 45 minutes.
• Join Company of Fools writers and cast for a live Q&A event on October 14 at 2 pm. Meet Company of Fools writers, actors and artist live and ask about their mashup of Shakespearean love stories and the digital comic!  Company of Fools members will answer your questions on Zoom, YouTube Live and on Facebook Live.
• Even if you can't make the live event, you will be able to access a recording of the Live event until Friday October 16th, so make sure you check back to see if your question was answered live.

Calling all teachers!

• Check out this original, illustrated study guide prepared by A Company of Fools for more information on the theme of the play as well as analysis of some of the six Shakespearean extracts used.
• Look at this booklist of Shakespeare's original plays featured in the mashup.

More about Love from Afar:

Normally at this time of year, a Company of Fools would be wrapping up their Torchlight Shakespeare in the Park summer tour, having brought their craft to thousands of people up close and personal. 2020 demanded a unique approach, so Ottawa theatre powerhouses Nicholas Leno and Sarah Finn developed Love from Afar which was performed initially through the windows of eight long-term care homes in Ottawa in September. Then the show was transformed into the digitized comic by the amazing Sara Mizannojehdehi!

With both static and animated scenes, complete with voiceover, this comic is the perfect way to let everyone in on the action. And there’s always a lot of action with the Fools as they explore love in these socially distant times.

Actors Geoff McBride, Mitchel Rose and Maryse Fernandes bring life to the love stories of Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, King Lear and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Directed by co-author Nicholas Leno, this snappy, endearing weaving of Shakespeare’s most memorable stories of the struggles and triumphs of love will keep our hearts warm this fall.  

With costume and mask design by aesthetic wiz Hannah Ferguson, set design by Franco Pang, and original score provided by musical superstar Alli Harris, this production channels an incredible soundscape combined with some of the most expressive actors in Ottawa to provide an utterly unique experience in these utterly unique times.