0-9739093-0-7
296 pp  6 x 9 in
$29.95 (Cdn) pb
April 2006

Excerpts:

Foreword
by Daniel Fischlin

Preface
by Chris Coculuzzi

Introductory Notes

"A summer's day will seem an hour but short,
Being wasted in such time-beguiling sport."

About the Play
It took Shakespeare 25 years to create his legacy of 38 plays and five years for Coculuzzi and Toner to destroy it. Shakespeare’s Sports Canon transforms the Complete Works of William Shakespeare into a hilarious hybrid of improvised sporting play and spectacle theatre. Presented as live UCSN (Upstart Crow Sports Network) broadcasts, the Sports Canon includes:
Shakespeare’s Rugby Wars: the Wars of the Roses tetralogy presented as a rugby match as Team Lancaster and Team York scrum it out for the British Crown and Rugby Supremacy;
Shakespeare’s World Cup: the famous four Tragedies as Team Denmark, England, Scotland, and Italy kick out the blank verse for Top Tragic Cup;
Shakespeare’s Gladiator Games: the Roman and Greek plays as a traditional Roman Ludi where Gladiators vie for the coveted wooden Rudis...and with it their freedom;
Shakespeare’s Comic Olympics: all of the Comedies and Romances as Olympic events as Athletes strive to overcome comic feats of timing in their quest for Ring Finger Gold;
Shakespeare’s NHL (National History League): the leftover Histories as a tribute to Canadian street hockey and homage to the Original Six as hockey's Historical Heroes faceoff for Lord Stanley's impressive Cup.

About the Authors
Chris Coculuzzi works as an educator for the Toronto District School Board and is a co-founder and member of an independent democratic school. He also works in theatre as a producer, director, actor, and playwright. He is the co-author and editor of the Shakespeare's Sports Canon series of five plays: Shakespeare's Rugby Wars, Shakespeare's World Cup, Shakespeare's Gladiator Games, Shakespeare's Comic Olympics, and Shakespeare's NHL (National History League). Other adaptations include Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and an abridged version of Cyrano de Bergerac (co-authored with Roxanne Deans). He currently resides in Toronto with his companion Kathy and their children Cabiria, Lórien, and Paisley.

Matt Toner is a regular lecturer on progressive media theory and works in video game development in Vancouver as a Lead Designer. As a playwright Matt has developed scripts through the Master Playwrights’ Workshop of New York’s Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center and Uta Hagen’s HB Studio. Matt is the co-author of four of the Shakespeare's Sports Canon series: Shakespeare's Rugby Wars, Shakespeare's World Cup, Shakespeare's Gladiator Games, and Shakespeare's NHL (National History League). Other titles include Objects in Mirror May be Closer than They Appear, Jessie Bell from Arkansas, Killing Time at the Crossroads of the World, The Pimp Hand of God, and We Unhappy Few.

Quotes
“In the great pantheon of theatre, there must be a little corner somewhere reserved for fun and silliness.” – Toronto Star 

“A Palpable Hit! …seriously broad, funny work …wild and energetic …there’s so much maniacal energy and a nod to the greatness of the originals.” – NOW Magazine 

“Enthusiastic [with] knee-slapping one-liners …a Stoppard-inspired romp.” – Eye Weekly 

“Witty …a fast-moving spectacle. The Bard would be proud.” – The Varsity