‘Cymbeline’ Isn’t the Only Punk Thing About Boodle Theatre Company
The Kingston Theatre Alliance acknowledges the author of this article was involved in this production and has personal relationships with some creatives mentioned in this article. These individuals did not contribute to the writing of this story nor its editorial process to maintain journalistic standards.
As a recent graduate of the DAN School of Drama and Music, I feel confident stating there are few moments—if any—that its students are not involved in at least one theatrical production. Whether working on a DAN Major, one of the numerous student-led clubs, a community theatre show, or self-producing their own performances, there are endless chances for students to be involved in creating art throughout the year. Among the many theatre opportunities in the Kingston community emerges a new group, Boodle Theatre Company, seemingly out of thin air: less than three months later, they have just closed their inaugural production of William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline. In the midst of their three day tech period, I had the opportunity to sit down with Co-Artistic Directors, Charli Birdgenaw, Alfonsina, and Gael Salas to discuss all things adaptation, theatre education, and Cymbeline.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
I remember seeing Boodle pop up on my Instagram feed out of nowhere in mid-June; how did you folks get started, and how did you come to the decision that you were going to create your own company to produce this show?
CB: It was kind of funny… we had made a bucket list for the summer, and we put a bunch of things on it: “jump [off] the pier,” “go to Rib Fest,” and one of them was put on a play. And then we said to each other, “that won’t happen.”
GS: It was ironic.
A: That’s how we started doing Shakespeare nights. We kept saying we were never going to put on a play, so we started reading Shakespeare shows and were actually having a lot of fun.
CB: For months now, I’ve been thinking about directing and starting my own theatre company because I love the educational aspect as well: not only a company, but a studio. One night, I was listening to a TED Talk after hanging out with our friends, and it was talking about how as an artist, your time is money. The more time you waste thinking about doing it, the more money you’re losing and the more confidence you lose.
So I made the account and started following everyone in the DAN School [of Drama and Music]… The night after, I told [Alfonsina and Gael] I was doing it, and said I really wanted them on my board: “I made this. We’re doing this.”
I knew that if I wanted to do a Shakespeare show, I wanted to do Cymbeline.
A: The next day we went to see the church and the day after that we posted auditions.
CB: As much as we say I’m the founder, they are both essential to it: we are the artistic directors of the company. It’s built off of friendship and a love of theatre—and the love we have for each other, too… We all study theatre, so we had this professional aspect that we wanted to bring into a community theatre space.
You folks have brought your knowledge of theatre to the community during the summer too, with pop-up classes to fundraise for the show. Tell me more about that.
CB: When we were talking about fundraising for the show, I knew that I wanted to do fundraisers that benefit artists. To me, coming from a big city, it feels like there’s a bit of a lack of that here. There are a lot of theatre companies, but they don’t necessarily facilitate educational opportunities, especially for adults… We are missing things to continuously build our craft.
GS: It also creates a feedback loop: if I teach you something, then I know you can do it, and the next time you want to audition or apply for something, either within the company or somewhere else, we know you can do it.
CB: We acknowledge as current and past Queen’s students, we are privileged to have access to the professors and knowledge that we have. We are trained and professional, but we are not the experts that we have at Queen’s, [however] it’s not accessible for some people to go there. So, if we can take some of that knowledge… and bring [it] forward, that’s really meaningful to us and to the community, and that’s what we would like to continue [to do].
Can I be nosy and ask where the name Boodle came from?
A: Number one most asked question!
GS: Do you think it’s catchy?
CB: It’s an ode to my parents; they call me “boodle,” “boodleloo.” … I’m an only child and I feel a lot of gratitude towards them: they have given so much to this show, it’s unbelievable and I just would not be where I am without them. It’s really a thank you to my parents. And I think it’s a catchy name.
Absolutely. As you’ve mentioned, there have been a lot of cuts made and you have gone in a very “punk” direction for the show. Tell me more about the process of adapting it to this style.
A: We didn’t have any time to plan the show, so everything came to us as it was happening… because of that, exact designs don’t exist. They are things that were happening as we were watching [rehearsals] and going “Oh, that makes sense for this character because of the way it’s been presented in the show…”
For example, putting Belarius, [Guiderius, and Arvigarius] in cheetah print: we talked about putting them in something more grunge rather than punk for them because it had to look rougher… with [Imogen and Posthumus’s] matching tie skirt and vest, we realized that it made them ‘tied’ together.
GS: For lighting, I had the idea right off… we didn’t have any money, we couldn’t use any theatre lights in the venue, but I knew that if we got flood lights—since they use them in bands and concerts—it was already [aligned] with the vibe of the show.
Today I was asking Charli, “do you want this to look like realistic lighting or like a fantasy?” They give such saturated colours, but she felt it was perfect: that makes my life easier, and looks cooler. From the beginning we had the idea of contrasting classic and punk ideas together.
CB: In the set, designed by Kailee Owens, the manuscript is coming out and the graffiti is on the tarps. In my version, there’s no time: we are in a punk era, but not necessarily the ‘80s and ‘90s or Skakespeare’s time… I wanted it to remain ambiguous, and that made the play and discovery so much more fun.
GS: The candles surrounding the audience also blend with the environment because of the church, and give a good ambience… I’m not using it as a primary source of light, more of a reminder that we aren’t somewhere from the last 20 years.
What’s next for Boodle Theatre, and for you three as the Artistic Directors?
CB: We do have another production on the way, hopefully coming up in winter: around December or January… We do have plans to stay in Kingston, to maybe open up our own theatre and educational space… Next is more plays, more musicals, maybe original pieces: we’re open to whatever, and just going with the flow right now and seeing what we can afford.
GS: We’re all interested in different things: if one day, Charli was like, “I don’t want to do this,” I may want to do something outside what [she] may do. We all cover different interests, so I think we could give a lot of different opportunities for different types of theatre.
A: That’s also one of the reasons why we work so well together. We have a very similar work style and ethic, but also we specialize in different areas, so we end up covering everything. We’re very thankful for all the people we have working with us.
That brings us to the end: do you folks have any final thoughts to add?
CB: We love theatre and Kingston, and we’re super happy to be a part of this community… We have big plans for the future, but right now we’re just so excited to be getting to put on art our way; without expectations, grades, and limits.
A: And without someone telling us the rules that we need to follow. I think one of the big things about theatre, especially in school, is that you have certain rules or guidelines you have to follow, and being able to do it so freely, without needing to be perfect…
GS: That’s another privilege we have. If we go to school where we know the rules of theatre, we know what we can break and [how to] play around.
CB: But also, as much as we know the rules, we know nothing. It’s so subjective… So many people who do community theatre are just doing it for the love of it and not because it’s their profession. For us, it’s finding the love for the profession and letting ourselves break the rules and be free of it. In a way, it’s very punk.
Raised in Montreal, Charli Birdgenaw is a quadruple threat performer who has a passion for community engagement with the arts. As a recent graduate and current student of Queen’s University, she hopes to combine more student and community theatre together here in Kingston, ON.
Gael Salas is a recent graduate from St. Lawrence College/Queen’s University, hailing from Mexico. During his last years at school, Gael developed an interest and passion for directing and lighting design. At Boodle, Gael is looking to grow as an artist alongside the Kingston community.
Alfonsina (she/they) is a 4th year Queen’s drama student. Past credits include QTT’s Deathtrap (co- director) and Caucasian Chalk Circle (Costume Designer), among others. She’s excited for the future of Boodle and can’t wait for everything that’s coming next.
‘Cymbeline’ was presented by Boodle Theatre Company and played at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church from September 10th – 12th, 2026. More information can be found here.
