Theatre Festivals of Ontario

Interesting season...

2008-06-07T03:18:59Z

Stratford seems to really be hitting its stride this season and getting some wonderful reviews. I'll be attending 'Cabaret', 'All's Well That Ends Well', 'Romeo + Juliet' and 'Palmer Park'.

Is anyone else hitting the festival this year? If so, what do you plan on attending? :)

Interesting

2008-03-14T14:10:18Z

Stratford Shakeup: McAnuff Will Be Sole Artistic Director of Ontario Fest; Maraden and Shipley Resign

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115888.html

Rest in peace.

2007-07-03T04:19:42Z

Many of you may have heard already, but the legendary William Hutt passed away last week.

Globe and Mail obit.

I was fortunate to see quite a few of his performances, including his last role at Stratford, Prospero in the 2005 Tempest. His was some of the finest acting I have ever experienced. The way he connected with his audiences was truly remarkable. He will be greatly missed.

Here it is!

2006-10-05T18:36:03Z

http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/plays/index.cfm?Jump=Season07

SO MUCH to be excited about!

2007 Stratford Season

2006-10-04T02:27:21Z

Just a heads-up that the 2007 Stratford playbill is going to be announced this Thursday, October 5th! Hopefully it will appear on their website (www.stratfordfestival.ca) sometime that day. Also, a few of Richard Ouzounian's articles in the Toronto Star have mentioned some of next year's plays:

Clicky!

Clicky again!

On a related note, I was finally able to make it to Stratford back in August, and I had a wonderful time. I saw Oliver, Coriolanus, South Pacific, London Assurance, The Glass Menagerie, Harlem Duet, Fanny Kemble, The Blonde, The Brunette, and the Vengeful Readhead, Ghosts, The Liar, and Don Juan. I enjoyed all of the shows, but my favorites were probably Glass Menagerie, Don Juan, London Assurance, The Liar, and Harlem Duet. I'd give a more detailed review of everything but I'm sure most people who had Stratford trips planned this year have already gone! That and I have to work on an English paper.

One last thing -- if you ever find yourself in Stratford in mid-August, I highly, HIGHLY recommend you check out the after-theatre cabarets at the Church. We went three nights in a row this year and had an absolute blast. They're run through Stratford Summer Music (www.stratfordsummermusic.ca), and are probably the most fun you can have outside of the actual Festival productions.

Let's get this thing rolling again.

2006-07-05T23:53:20Z

Dude, where has everyone gone?

I'm going through Stratford withdrawal because I've usually been there at least once by this time. This year, though, I've been in New England all spring and summer and won't be going home to Michigan until mid-July. Which got me thinking: let's resurrect this little corner of cyberspace. Sooo, has anyone been to any of the festivals yet this year? Anyone want to gush or vent about a particular production?

I'll finally make it to Stratford in early August for the annual trip with family and friends. So I'd especially love to hear opinions on Stratford productions. :)

What do do in Stratford?

2006-03-11T00:50:28Z

This doesn't really have to do with festivals, but I know a lot of people talk here about the Stratford Festival in Stratford, ON.

I'm planning a weekend trip to Stratford soon and was wondering if anyone knew of some hot spots to check out. Restaurants, etc. I've never been there before!

Thanks!

More Male Leads Leaving Festivals

2005-10-23T14:42:15Z

Soulpepper Theatre Company's 2006 season announcement meant that a lot of Festival goers will be missing some more of their favorites if they don't make a side trip to Toronto.

As you probably remember, a number of younger leading men from both Festivals will be in the world premiere musical Lord of the Rings which opens in Toronto in early 2006.

Now, word comes that each festival has lost one of their leading lights. Stratford star Jonathan Goad and Shaw Festival mainstay Ben Carlson will be playing the brothers Gloucester in Soulpepper's King Lear. They will also play brothers in The Caretaker.

The production doesn't start until late August, so it is possible that if there are shows that close early, Jonathan may be at Stratford, but I wouldn't count on it. (During the backstage tour at Shaw, they made it clear that Ben Carlson won't be there next year, which is why I'm not including him in that possibility.)

Also, for Shaw fans, Jeff Lillico is going to Soulpepper for two rep shows.

Let's see, you think you can fit in a matinee Rings with an evening show of Lear?

This is going to be a weird year at both festivals.

festivalontario @ 2005-10-06T22:33:00

2005-10-07T02:33:59Z

Hey all! I just went to Stratford. I saw Into the Woods and the Tempest (oh yes with William Hutt). Just thought I'd give a hey!

Shaw 2006 Playbill Announced

2005-09-27T18:57:03Z

Today the Shaw Festival announced its lineup for the 2006 season. No casting has been announced as of yet. Below are the plays, with the directors in parentheses.

Festival Theatre
Arms and the Man (Jackie Maxwell)
High Society (Kelly Robinson)
The Crucible (Tadeusz Bradecki)

Royal George Theatre
The Heiress (Joseph Ziegler)
The Invisible Man (Neil Munro)
Design for Living (Morris Panych)

Court House Theatre
Too True to be Good (Jim Mezon) -- A Shaw play in the Court House ... interesting.
Love Among the Russians (Eda Holmes)
The Magic Fire (Jackie Maxwell)
Rosmersholm (Neil Monro)

The Stratford 2006 Season Announcement

2005-09-01T16:47:16Z

The 2006 season announcement was made today. Below is the text of the article on Playbill.com.

Opening the Festival season on May 29, 2006, will be Shakespeare's Coriolanus, directed by executive director Antoni Cimolino and featuring Colm Feore in the title role.

Other Shakespeares on the slate are Henry IV, Part 1, to be directed by Monette; Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Stephen Ouimette; and Twelfth Night, directed by Leon Rubin. In addition, the Festival will present The Duchess of Malfi by Shakespeare's contemporary John Webster, directed by Peter Hinton.

"In all these plays, family has the central role," Monette said. "Prince Hal must choose between the world of his real father, the King, and his adopted father, Falstaff; in Much Ado About Nothing, the story revolves around a wronged young woman who is defended by her father and her cousin. The separation and reunion of the twins Viola and Sebastian is at the heart of Twelfth Night and, in The Duchess of Malfi, we follow the bloodied story of three siblings vying for control over the kingdom, and each other."

Also on the schedule are The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, directed by Miles Potter; Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Ouimette; London Assurance, the comedy of manners by Dion Boucicault, to be directed by Brian Bedford (who will also play Harcourt Courtly, a role that won him a Tony nomination in 1997); The Liar by 17th-century French playwright Pierre Corneille, to be directed by Matthew Jocelyn; Molière's Don Juan (starring Colm Feore in the title role), to be directed by Lorraine Pintal; the musical Oliver!, directed and choreographed by Donna Feore and featuring Feore as Fagin; and South Pacific, directed and choreographed by Michael Lichtefeld and featuring Cynthia Dale as Nellie Forbush.

The musicals and Don Juan and Coriolanus were previously announced.

Rounding out the season are two one-woman showcases: The Blonde, the Brunette, and the Vengeful Redhead, a black comedy about infidelity by Australian Robert Hewett, to be directed by Geordie Johnson; and Fanny Kemble by Peter Hinton, a new play emerging from the Festival's New Play Development Programme about the "remarkable 19th-century Shakespearean actress, author and abolitionist."

An additional Canadian play will be announced for the 2006 season later this year.

Mid-Season Economic Standings of the Festivals

2005-08-13T14:26:58Z

Behind the cut is an article from The Toronto Star on the financial standing of the two festivals mid-way into the season.

RICHARD OUZOUNIAN
Here's a tale of two festivals — Shaw and Stratford; and
two musical divas — Rose and Dolly.

For one lady, everything's coming up roses, but for the other, the parade
seems to have passed her by.

Right now, it's just about the halfway point for both of our largest
theatre companies and it's a good time to check up on how they're doing.

The interesting thing is that these two supposedly classical
organizations are finding their financial fortunes inexorably linked with the
selling power of their big musical comedies.

Over at Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Shaw Festival has put Gypsy into
their flagship Festival Theatre. It's the first time they've given such
prominence to a musical and it's a gamble that seems to be paying off.

After incurring multi-million-dollar deficits for the past two seasons,
the folks at Shaw are looking, cautiously, towards a break-even scenario this
year.

"We're doing much better than 2003 and 2004," said general manager
Colleen Blake. "We're not back to the levels of 2002, but it's certainly an
improvement."

The first two seasons under artistic director Jackie Maxwell saw severe
drops in the attendance at the Festival Theatre, largely due to Maxwell's
insistence on programming Canadian plays like The Coronation
Voyage and Nothing Sacred.

This year, they trimmed the number of large-scale shows from four to
three and kept them readily accessible: two popular Shaw titles (You Never
Can Tell and Major Barbara) and the musical, Gypsy.

The result, says Blake, is that "attendance at the Festival Theatre is
running 15 per cent ahead of the past two seasons and, yes, Gypsy is a
big part of that."

Although reviews were divided on both the show and its star, Nora
McLellan, word of mouth has been strong and "audiences seem to like the whole
idea of a musical in the Festival Theatre," said Blake. She would not, however,
confirm that one would be playing there next year as well.

While total sales for Shaw are currently running 7 per cent ahead of last
year, they're not yet quite out of the woods.

"We're still a little bit behind our budgeted revenue figure, but we're
very much hopeful of achieving our goal of a break-even budget," said Blake, but
she "doesn't want to attach a figure" to how much that gap is.

"In the long term," Blake said, "we're worried about carrying the
deficit, but you can't just turn it around overnight." The organization has a
five-year plan for retiring its accumulated $4.4 million shortfall.

"I'm very encouraged by the purchasing trends this season," Blake
concluded, "and we're very hopeful of a positive year."

Up the road at Stratford, they're looking to arrive at the same final
destination as Shaw, but by taking a much more circuitous route and without such
strong support from their cash-cow musical.

Executive director Antoni Cimolino reluctantly allowed that at one point
earlier this season, the festival was $1.5 million behind its budgeted target.

"A large portion of that," he explained, "was due to a heavy decline in
our student bookings. I attribute that primarily to the work-to-rule action by
Ontario teachers which effectively reduced many of our matinees."

However, stronger interest from regular ticket buyers has chipped away at
that figure and the festival is now only $500,000 behind its goal and Cimolino
cautiously indicated, "all signs are now pointing towards our breaking even."

Like Shaw, Stratford reached a box office peak in 2002, with a marked
decline in the two seasons following. But unlike its sister festival, Stratford
has never known a deficit budget in the entire time Richard Monette has been
artistic director.

The interesting thing about this year's attendance figures is that,
according to Cimolino, the "musicals are both heavily down over other years."

The fact that the fascinating (but difficult) Into the Woods is
selling less than Anything Goes did in 2004 isn't surprising, but the
failure of a proven favourite like Hello, Dolly! to draw crowds has to be
mainly due to the almost universally lacklustre notices the show and leading
lady, Lucy Peacock, have received.

A surprising, but cheering factor is that the two shows "making up the
ground at the box office," in Cimolino's words, are Shakespeare's The Tempest
and As You Like It.

Increased audiences for the Bard instead of Broadway is a reassuring sign
for a festival where its critics have often felt that commerce, rather than art,
had grown to be king.

One thing common to both festivals is that audience buying patterns have
changed tremendously in recent years.

"Ever since 9/11," said Cimolino, "we no longer have the blocks of
faithful customers buying their seats months in advance. Now they wait until
just before the date to show up. They still come, but it can be nerve-wracking
wondering if they will."

Blake concurred. "We now watch our sales patterns day to day, week to
week. That's how quickly things can change."

The bottom line is that, if nothing goes wrong, both organizations will
end the year without a drop of red ink.

But as for how they're going to get there, well, at Stratford you can
thank William Shakespeare, but over in Niagara, it's definitely been Rose's
Turn.</font>

Another "Local" Boy Makes Good

2005-08-13T14:21:04Z

Adam Brazier, who has appeared at both the Shaw and Stratford Festivals (most recently as Joey in Pal Joey), has been cast as the male lead in the Broadway debut of The Woman in White, the latest musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber.

Also, the reviews from The Lark at Stratford are in ... and mixed. It sounds like an interesting production, though.

Lord of the Rings Casting Confirmed

2005-07-26T14:03:45Z

On top of what I had posted yesterday, the producers of the Toronto Lord of the Rings confirmed the casting. Brent Carver will be playing Gandalf and the rest of the cast was confirmed as in that story.

In the ensemble, though, is Peter van Gestel, who has done some incredible work this season at Stratford in The Brothers Karamozov and Sticks and Stones. (I had kinda figured he might get a bit of a promotion next year.)

Wanted: Young Male Leads for Ontario Festivals for 2006 season

2005-07-25T15:45:46Z

It's not confirmed, but if this is true, both Shaw and Stratford are going to be doing some scrambling for young male leads.

From an article on BroadwayWorld.com: (and yeah, I will probably go):

A number of major roles in the Toronto premiere of The Lord of the Rings have been cast, according to the Toronto Star.

The Tolkien-based megamusical, which will open on March 23rd, 2006 after beginning previews in February, reportedly now has a Gollum, Aragorn, Arwen, Saruman, Legolas, Merry, Boromir and Elrond. However, Producer Kevin Wallace and spokespeople for the Mirvish organization refused to confirm or deny these reports.

Michael Therriault will play Gollum, the shrivelled ex-hobbit with eyes on the ring around which the musical
centers. Therriault currently plays Motel the Tailor in Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof, and has also appeared in the Toronto production of The Producers as well as in several shows in the prestigious Stratford Festival.

Evan Buliung has been placed in the heroic role of Aragorn; the actor can currently be seen in and Journey's End and Major Barbara at the Shaw Festival. He too has acted at Stratford, and played Edgar to Christopher Plummer's King Lear.

Carly Street will play his Elvish love interest Arwen; she is a National Theatre School graduate who has spoken the words of Shakespeare at the High Park and Newmarket outdoor summer theatres. The dark wizard Saruman will
be portrayed by Richard McMillan, who also scared the little children in the audience as Scar in the Toronto production of The Lion King; he is also no stranger to the Stratford Festival.

Legolas, the strapping young elf, will be play by Gabriel Burrafato, who has appeared at the Shaw Festival, at
Stratford and who currently tours as Magaldi in the national company of Evita after having been seen in
Broadway's Bombay Dreams. The role of the mischievous hobbit Merry has gone to Dylan Roberts, who can currently be seen in ShakespeareWorks' The Taming of the Shrew, while the part of the noble but
ring-corrupted Boromir has been awarded to Dion Johnstone, who is a Stratford company member and who currently plays Orlando in the theatre festival's As You Like It. Finally, Victor A. Young will appear as Elrond, the stalwart father of Arwen; Young has performed in Kiss Me Kate at Stratford and Crazy for You for Mirvish Productions, among many others.

While the rumors are only at buzz pitch right now and nothing has been confirmed, theatre wags are saying that Brent Carver (Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Parade) might be one of the actors to headline The Lord of the Rings; the actor is currently appearing in Soulpepper's The Wild Duck.

festivalontario @ 2005-07-15T03:07:00

2005-07-15T07:12:45Z

Hey everyone.. I'm new in this community~ I absolutely love Stratford. I've done 'The Shakespeare School' 3 times, 2 of which were for musical theatre... they were all great experiences. We had the opportunity to meet a lot of the actors.. take workshops... learn alot and experience Stratford a little more intimately than just a regular tourist. Unfortunately for me (and stratford :) ) , I decided not to attend the shakespeare school this year because i'm going off to college at the boston conservatory of music and shakespeare schoool just didn't fit in. ANYWAY, I just got back from stratford and I saw Hello Dolly and Into the Woods (of course both the musicals.. but did want to see more it just didn't fit!). I definitely enjoyed both... anyone have any comments about the musicals this year? I've seen INto the Woods MANY MANY MANY times.. this one was really different... I was sometimes confused w/what the art director was going for, but it definetely kept me not knowing what they would come up w/next.

so Into the Woods. Hello Dolly. Discuss!

Just Back From Shaw/Stratford

2005-07-06T00:10:43Z

Hi all! I've been away from LJ for awhile, but it's time to get this party going again. Both festivals are up and running, with all but a handful of shows open (Shaw opens its last show in a couple of weeks while Stratford opens its last three in August).

I just got back from my first trip to the Ontario Festivals this summer. I hit 14 shows overall -- seven at each festival. Overall, I would consider this year's offerings so-so at both festivals. It's not their best year ... but not their worst, either.

For those going to Stratford: be aware that Edward II is selling out very quickly ... and it hasn't even opened yet. Graham Abbey is out for at least a couple of weeks with a broken leg. Bentley's has gotten rid of the berry fruit crisp. Tangos has wireless internet access. The internet center in the Discovery Centre is still there, and still free. And there is MASSIVE road construction throughout the city (although not right in the theatre district). If you are in a B&B that is not on Ontario Street, you might want to call ahead and get the "this is how to avoid the sewer work" instructions on how to get there.

For those going to Shaw: Wow, Niagara-on-the-Lake is booming! They've even got a Tim's now. There are two chain hotels (meaning that the cost of the hotels in the center of town will likely start to fall) in town now. The restaurants on the main drag are still overpriced, but the Tim's and the Red Rooster (next to Tim Horton's) are very reasonably priced. But don't get dessert at either of those places -- go across the street to The Willow. Heaven on a plate! If there's wireless internet access anywhere in NotL, they're keeping it a secret. The library has computers, but remember, the library is closed on Mondays -- the one day a theatre fan might well have some time free to check e-mail.

Canada Play Day -- Stratford tried something new this year, and it was a blast! On July 1 (Canada Day), the Festival offered what they termed "Canada Play Day." Basically, they set it up so you could see the four plays on their playbill written/devised/adapted by Canadians. They also offered a box lunch and buffet dinner (cause otherwise it was going to be difficult to fit food into this marathon). I'll comment on the shows themselves below, but here I do want to say that it was a ton of fun. I travel alone and while I'm pretty willing to start chatting with the person next to me, this allowed me a chance to get to know a bunch of people since we all began to recognize each other, and ate together, and walked between theatres together, etc. We had at least two reporters in the group (one a reviewer from a weekly rag near Cleveland, and the other from a Canadian national paper doing an article on the event), and four of us wound up sitting near each other at Shaw two days later!

Fallen Angels -- One of Noel Coward's earliest plays, it doesn't have the finesse or polish of his later works, but it does have a middle act that is little more than a drunken orgy of hilarity ... here done by Lucy Peacock and Seana McKenna. That made it worth the price of admission. The set, the rest of the cast (especially Joyce Campion as the maid, Saunders) were outstanding ... it just wasn't the best script.

The Donnellys: Sticks and Stones -- The first of the four in the four-play day. I'm still not entirely sure what I think of it -- except that I can understand why it completely wowed people 30 years ago. As a non-Canadian, the story was, for the most part, unfamiliar to me. As a member of my generation not raised within a Catholic/Protestant friction zone, the constant sense that I was meant to know which side of the fence a person was on by their name kept me from being able to fully follow the story. That said, this production was amazing in terms of the performances and sense of it being a theatrical event.

Wingfield's Inferno -- The "Letters from Wingfield Farm" series aren't for everyone, but I have to admit that this was actually one of the more satisfying theatrical experiences I'd had in a while. Rod Beatty plays Walt Wingfield ... and everyone else in Persephone Township ... and delivers mucho laughs and even some pathos. And, amazingly, he's got a point to make, too.

The Measure of Love/Ruth Draper on Tour -- Two one-act plays put together to fill out a slot, although Ruth Draper on Tour was actually longer than No Exit which the Festival produced two years ago. Neither really worked all that well. Neither ever convinced me there was a point.

The Brothers Karamozov -- Note to all adaptors of novels: I know that you can't include every single plot line. I know you have to pick from many and go with that. Fine. But, if you do that, you have to use the conclusion that goes with that plot line -- not simply the conclusion you think the book makes. *sigh* That said, the staging was fascinating and the acting very strong. But, c'mon, leave with the guy that brung ya, okay?

As You Like It -- You're either going to love it or hate it. I adored it. I am devoted to it. But many feel that the setting of the 60s makes it, as one reviewer put it, "too cluttered." Not me. This is not a production that tries to make the story fit the setting ... but rather one that uses the setting to visualize some of what the story is about -- whether that's the exploration of various forms of love ... or the exploration of the lives available within the establishment or without it. This was just joyous.

The Tempest -- I'm about to commit Canadian theatre sacrilege -- William Hutt is not perfect. I have seen him stumble ... and I have seen him absolutely thrill an audience. The night I saw The Tempest, he made very few missteps, and thrilled an audience who had come to say farewell. It's uncluttered to the point of bare -- even the huge masque is very low key -- but with strong supporting performances, this Tempest is made to live and die with Hutt. If he's on, it's truly magical.

And now, on to Shaw.

The Autumn Garden -- Despite some outstanding performances, this felt a bit too much like a museum piece being dusted off and displayed before going back into the storage room. It failed to connect with me emotionally, while making some points I found interesting. In a play about distance, the tiny Court House Theatre stage worked against it, but the performances of many of Shaw's stalwarts were outstanding. Something just failed to click.

You Never Can Tell -- Bernard Shaw does Oscar Wilde -- and does it amazingly well. If not for Mike Shara's completely over the top cartoon performance, it would have been damned near perfect. A slight confection and silly at that (although Shara's character is not supposed to be the silliest), and painted on one of those most fantastic sets the Shaw Festival has probably ever done, You Never Can Tell is one of those hidden gems that Shaw seems to do on a regular basis.

Gypsy -- Shaw's first-ever musical on their mainstage, Gypsy is such an old war horse that you either have to do it bigger than anyone else (not Shaw's modus operandi) or bring to it something new in the interpretation. *Big expectant pause* Nope. not that either. It was okay. Nora McClellan doesn't have the voice for it, and really failed to give you some sense of the desperation of the need for show biz success in her actions (and not just her words). In all, okay, but disappointing on some level. (Note: If you haven't seen Gypsy half a dozen times, you'll probably really enjoy yourself.

Happy End -- A remount of the insanely successful production in 2003. The male cast is pretty much the same, but the woman aren't -- and it matters. Neither woman is nearly as good as the one who did it two years ago -- and their voices aren't strong enough to be heard over the orchestra for some key songs. That said, it's hard to be too critical of a show where the men are having as much fun as the gangsters are here.

Bus Stop -- I'm taking a pass here, okay? I saw the very first preview, and it still had a strong sense of, "I go here, I say this, I turn to this person, I listen, I cross downstage while saying this ...." I trust the director (Jackie Maxwell) and hold out hope that it's going to jell into something really interesting. There are definite glimmers here.

Journey's End -- Go see this play now! Oh my heavens. In a theatre that has always felt a bit like a bunker, the Shaw Festival has finally staged a play that makes use of that atmosphere. Set in a World War I bunker, Journey's End focuses on soldiers who are aware that the assault that will probably kill them is less than 144 hours away. It's real and gutwrenching and funny in places. Amazing performances. What are you doing still reading this? Go!

The Constant Wife -- Strong production with much witty dialogue and intelligent banter ... albeit on a topic that feels outdated to many -- unless, of course, you really stop and think about it. It was a wonderful way to end my trip.

Things I Didn't See: Of course, buzz is building on some shows I didn't see -- and some that haven't even opened yet. At Shaw, everyone's talking about Major Barbara and Belle Moral. At Stratford, it's Orpheus Descending, Measure for Measure and Edward II.

Go see some wonderful theatre ... and then come back here and tell us what you think.

Stratford Festival

2005-02-14T06:29:57Z

Hi! I grew up in Stratford, my mother worked at the chef school and the festival, and I worked at the Festival. Best Place hands down to eat is Rundles. Anyways, I know too much about stratford resturants and a fair bit about the theater. if you want to visit and want some advice, ask away and i'll do my best to answer. The Festival this season promises to be alright. there will be a few amazing plays, but it won't be as good as the 50th season, and it won't ever be unless attendance goes back up. So get your friends together and plan a trip! Buy chocolates! watch shows!

Tom McCamus

2005-02-03T14:52:28Z

Hi everyone,

For your information, there is now a Livejournal community for Stratford actor Tom McCamus. You can find it here:

http://www.livejournal.com/community/tommccamus

Tomfans, please stop by for news and discussion!

Regards,

LW

Stratford News

2004-12-08T19:54:17Z

Some news from the Stratford Festival:

-- Attendance for 2004 was 568,000+. This is about average, but down from their projections.

-- And, neatest of all -- The Barenaked Ladies are composing music for this year's production of As You Like It. How cool!

Macbeth Pictures

2004-11-30T02:31:14Z

Hey everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone saved any of the pictures from the Stratford Festival site of Macbeth. I didnt manage to save any, and am kicking myself now because they updated the site too soon and I didnt grab any.

If anyone could be of some help that would be great!

festivalontario @ 2004-11-10T22:08:00

2004-11-11T03:14:15Z

I just found this community and was really pleased to see how many people enjoy the stratford festival! I was actually a company member in 2001 and I worked very closely with richard monette and many of the actors. I was in "The Sound of Music" and "Inherit the Wind" (both at the festival theatre) I was 14 at the time and it was an amazing experience! I'd give anything to be a member of the company again!

Stratford Principal Casting

2004-10-20T22:56:45Z

From a variety of sources, but since the Stratford press release is in Adobe format and not easily copied, I include the article from Playbill.

What a Vision: Amanda Plummer Will Play Joan of Arc at Canada's Stratford Festival in 2005
By Kenneth Jones <mailto:kjones@playbill.com>
20 Oct 2004

Tony Award winner Amanda Plummer, whose parents Christopher Plummer and Tammy Grimes triumphed at the renowned Stratford Festival in Canada, will star as Joan of Arc in the Ontario company's 2005 run of Jean Anouilh's The Lark.
Plummer won a 1982 Tony Award for Featured Actress (Play) for her portrayal of Agnes in Agnes of God and was also nominated for a Leading Actress Tony the same year for her portrayal of Jo in A Taste of Honey. Her director for The Lark will be Michael Lindsay- Hogg, who also helmed the Broadway Agnes of God.
Plummer received another Tony nomination in 1987 for playing Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. She won an Emmy in 1992 for her portrayal of Lusia Weiss in the TV movie "Miss Rose White" (based on the play A Shayna Maidel) and another in 1996 as Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series ("The Outer Limits"). Her films include "Pulp Fiction," "The Fisher King," "Butterfly Kiss" and "A Simple Wish."
Joining Plummer in The Lark will be Graham Abbey as Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and Stephen Ouimette as The Promoter. The Lark opens at the Festival Theatre on Aug. 11, 2005.
The Stratford Festival staging of King Lear that starred Christopher Plummer came to Lincoln Center Theater in 2003.
*
Other lead casting for Stratford's 2005 season was announced Oct. 19 by artistic director Richard Monette. Fest favorites Lucy Peacock and Peter Donaldson will be Dolly and Horace in Hello, Dolly; William Hutt, considered Canadian acting royalty, will play Prospero in The Tempest; Rod Beattie returns for his 15th season to play Walt Wingfield in the sixth Wingfield show by Dan Needles, Wingfield's Inferno; Stephen Ouimette will play Caliban in The Tempest; James Blendick is Big Daddy, Cynthia Dale is Maggie, Thom Marriott is Gooper and David Snelgrove is Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Seana McKenna and Lucy Peacock will appear in Noel Coward's Fallen Angels; for Into the Wood, Kyle Blair will be Jack, Peter Donaldson is the Narrator, Bruce Dow is The Baker and Dayna Tekatch is Cinderella and Jennifer Waiser is Little Red; The Brothers Karamazov by Jason Sherman, adapted from the novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, will include Shane Carty as Ivan Karamazov, Jonathan Goad as Dmitry Karamazov, Dana Green as Grushenka, Peter van Gestel as Alyosha Karamazov and Scott Wentworth as Fyodor Karamazov; As You Like It will boast Graham Abbey as Jaques, Dion Johnstone as Orlando, Stephen Ouimette as Touchstone and Sara Topham as Rosalind; in Orpheus Descending, expect Jonathan Goad as Val Xavier, Dana Green as Carol Cutrere, Seana McKenna as Lady Torrance and Scott Wentworth as David Cutrere; The Donnellys: Sticks & Stones by James Reaney features Diane D'Aquila as Mrs. Donnelly and Robert King as Mr. Donnelly; Edward II by Christopher Marlowe includes James Blendick as Guy, Earl of Warwick/Lightborn, Walter Borden as Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, Jamie Robinson as Gaveston, David Snelgrove as Edward II and Scott Wentworth as Roger Mortimer of Wigmore; The Measure of Love by Nicolas Billon stars Diana Leblanc; Measure for Measure will feature Diane D'Aquila as Mistress Overdone, Jonathan Goad as Angelo, Dana Green as Isabella and Thom Marriott as Vincentio, the Duke.
The festival confirmed that Peter Hinton will direct Into the Woods, designed by Dany Lyne, and Brian Bedford will direct Fallen Angels, designed by Susan Benson.
Berthold Carrière will be musical director for both Hello, Dolly! and Into the Woods.

My thoughts are varied. The absence of both of the young female leads that they've been grooming for the last few years (Michelle Giroux and Claire Jullien) is notable. I'm thrilled that Kyle Blair who has always been good in smaller roles (and is one of the sweetest people you could hope to meet), is getting a chance at two leads.

And who wouldn't be glad to have one more chance to see William Hutt on a Stratford stage?

But ... does anyone else feel that three Shakespeare shows -- one of which will only run a bit over a month -- isn't quite enough?

Shaw Announcement

2004-09-22T23:23:01Z

From Playbill:

Canada's Shaw Festival Has You Never Can Tell, Lillian Hellman, Brecht & Weill and Gypsy in 2005
By Kenneth Jones <mailto:kjones@playbill.com>
22 Sep 2004
The 2005 playbill of the respected Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, will include Bernard Shaw's You Never Can Tell, Major Barbara and a mainstage production of the musical, Gypsy.
The festival's mandate is plays written in — or about — the period that Irish playwright Shaw lived (1856-1950).
Artistic director Jackie Maxwell announced a slate that will include Morris Panych staging Shaw's You Never Can Tell and Joseph Ziegler directing Shaw's Major Barbara, both at the flagship house called the Festival Theatre. Gypsy gets a production at the Festival Theatre. Maxwell directs the musical about the origin of burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee. This will mark the first time a musical has played the Festival Theatre's stage; the company has so far avoided staging the obvious: My Fair Lady, the smash musical of Shaw's Pygmalion.
The 2005 playbill includes 10 productions at the Shaw Festival's three theatres situated in historic Niagara-on the-Lake, on the lip of Lake Ontario, downstream from Niagara Falls.
A remount of The Shaw's celebrated 2003 production of the Brecht/Weill musical Happy End, directed by Tadeusz Bradecki, will play at the Royal George Theatre.
Alisa Palmer directs Belle Moral: A Natural History, a new version of acclaimed Canadian playwright and novelist Ann-Marie MacDonald's early play The Arab's Mouth, at the Court House Theatre. In Belle Moral, "a young Scottish scientist seeks to uncover her family's secrets in this offbeat Gothic comedy. This new version of The Arab's Mouth was commissioned by The Shaw and has its premiere this season."
Former Shaw artistic director Christopher Newton will direct R.C. Sherriff's drama of World War I, Journey's End, also at the Court House.
Renowned Canadian actor and director Martha Henry directs Lillian Hellman's The Autumn Garden at the Court House, while The Shaw's associate director Neil Munro directs Somerset Maugham's The Constant Wife and a new version of Georges Feydeau and Maurice Desvallière's one-act C'est une femme du monde, at the Royal George. In addition to Gypsy, Jackie Maxwell directs William Inge's Bus Stop, also at the Royal George.
Tickets for the 2005 season go on sale to Shaw Festival Members on Nov. by mail, fax, or online; on Nov. 27 by phone or in person. Tickets go on sale to groups on Jan. 3, 2005. For the general public, tickets go on sale Jan. 10 by mail, fax or online and on Jan. 15 by phone or in person.

Stratford Archive link

2004-09-17T14:03:53Z

My casting director just sent me a very cool link: The Stratford Festival: the First Fifty Years Well worth checking out.