< LU y-- X North Shore Brothers Team up as Actor and Director A m b e r Sessions Left: David Mackay, Director, Right: Gerry Mackay as Achilles in Troilus and Cressida - Photo by David Cooper N O R T H S H O R E B R O T H E R S D A V I D and Gerry Mackay are p r e p a r i n g f o r w a r . T h a t i s , t h e b r o t h e r s are c u r r e n t l y i n r e h e a r s a l f o r B a r d o n the B e a c h ' s u p c o m i n g p r o d u c t i o n o f Troilus and Cressida - a m o d e r n take o n Shakespeare's e p i c tale o f the R o m a n siege o f T r o y , re-set i n t h e A m e r i c a n C i v i l W a r . D a v i d d i r e c t s a n d G e r r y p l a y s the p i v otal role of Achilles. says he is r e a l l y e n j o y i n g . F o r G e r r y it is the c h a l l e n g e o f m a k i n g r e a l the c h a r a c t e r o f Achilles. " H e is t h e a r r o g a n t w a r r i o r w h o refuses t o f i g h t , " s a y s G e r r y . "It's s u c h a j o y t o get t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o p u t o n t h i s t y p e o f r o l e . " Troilus and Cressida is g e n e r a l l y c o n s i d e r e d " a p r o b l e m and Cressida p l a y " as the t o n e " l u r c h e s b e t w e e n b a w d y c o m e d y a n d t r a g i c g l o o m . " D a v i d , h o w e v e r , sees Troilus as a t i m e l y s a t i r e i n w h i c h his c h a l l e n g e is t o " f i n d the c o m e d y . " H e h a s set t h i s p r o d u c t i o n i n the A m e r i c a n C i v i l W a r , b e l i e v i n g t h i s w i l l m a k e it m o r e a c c e s s i b l e t o the a u d i e n c e . I n s t e a d o f the siege o f T r o y , t h e a c t i o n t a k e s p l a c e d u r i n g the siege o f V i c k s b u r g i n 1 8 6 3 . " H a v i n g the A m e r i c a n f l a g o n stage w i l l g i v e t h i s p l a y i m m e d i a t e r e s o n a n c e , " says D a v i d , " b u t it w i l l n o t be a n a n t i - A m e r i c a n p l a y . " U l t i m a t e l y Troilus and Cressida is a b o u t w a r a n d d i s i l l u s i o n m e n t . H o w d o the n o b l e i d e a l s o f w a r get s i d e t r a c k e d ? H o w d o e s the i l l n e s s o f w a r b r e a k s o c i e t y ? H o w d o e s w a r a n d loss o f h o n o u r effect l o v e ? " T h e M a c k a y b r o t h e r s are B a r d o n the B e a c h v e t e r a n s G e r r y w a s p a r t o f the f o u n d i n g c o m p a n y a n d D a v i d h a s spent n i n e y e a r s a c t i n g u n d e r the B a r d t e n t s . T h e i r p a s s i o n f o r the t h e a t r e w a s first k i n d l e d b y t h e i r father, a c t o r D o n M a c k a y . T h e n , at W i n d s o r S e c o n d a r y S c h o o l , b o t h D a v i d and G e r r y were strongly e n c o u r a g e d by their d r a m a teacher, the late G a r y Z i m m e r m a n . B o t h w e n t o n t o e a r n B F A ' s in Theatre a n d then to p u r s u e careers i n a c t i n g . T h e b r o t h e r s e a c h t a c k l e e x c i t i n g n e w c h a l l e n g e s at B a r d t h i s s u m m e r . F o r D a v i d , Troilus and Cressida m a r k s his d i r e c t o r i a l d e b u t at the f e s t i v a l , a b o l d n e w r o l e t h a t he WHO: Gerry and David Mackay WHAT: Troilus and Cressida WHERE: Bard on the Beach, Vanier Park W H E N : July 12-Sept21 TICKETS: 6O4.739.05S9 or visit www.lHtdonthebeach.org. www.arts-alive.ca July | A u g u s t 5