One of the hallmarks of this blog, ever since it started, was “fun things I do in Calgary”. And slowly – sloooooowly – I’ve moved into creating fun things to do in Calgary for other people. I mean, I’ve produced theatre on and off for over a decade, so that counts as something. But over this past year, Full Circle Theatre has started putting on community building Shakespeare-inspired salon events. And that is definitely creating “fun things to do in Calgary”. Tonight was our most recent event, the ShakesPeers Holiday Bash and it was everything I needed it to be.

First, What is ShakesPeers?

Great question! It is, obviously, a pun on Shakespeare. And the fact that we get together with our peers. And shake, I guess?

Basically, we wanted to make something that would bring theatre people together, but wouldn’t be a class or a performance. It would just be an opportunity to nerd out with other cool theatre people and potentially practice our craft a little bit in a low stakes environment. Our first event was a Roles in a Bowl reading of Much Ado (which was exactly what it sounds like) and our second was a Scene Exploration (where we just selected scenes, messed around, and talked about them). We’ve met new people and gotten comfortable with Shakespeare. And more importantly, for my sanity, they’ve been really easy to plan.

What About the ShakesPeers Holiday Bash?

Also, kind of what it sounds like! It was our holiday party for people we wouldn’t normally be able to attend a holiday party with! We rented a basement events room at The Joyce on 4th, and they were fantastic. Very attentive, gave us access to their full menu, and decorated the room in a cute festive manner… What more can you ask for in a private room!?

Kevin put together six rounds of Shakespeare inspired trivia and I learned I don’t know nearly as much about Shakespeare as I think I do. We did a classic White Elephant gift exchange. I brought some local bitters and fancy tonic water, and walked with a nice bottle of wine. (There were also gifts that weren’t beverages, but beverages is my brand, as we know.) 

We did Burt Reynolds shots, which I certainly have not done since I worked at Earls. 

Now, I will say that the one challenge with putting on events is that you never quite get to socialize as much as you want to. There are always small things that you need to attend to that pull you away from being fully involved with the event. But it’s so worth it when you know you’re creating something great for other people.

And, hey, maybe it’s just a good excuse to get back together with my friends again and again and again. 

So tell me, what holiday party plans do you have on the menu?