Much of our casting for 2017 is now in place, bringing back to our company many of your favourite artists - along with several, such as Indian-born singer-songwriter Kiran Ahluwalia, who are new to Stratford. Twelfth Night | Directed by MARTHA HENRY Sarah Afful as Viola Rod Beattie as Malvolio Brent Carver as Feste Lucy Peacock as Maria Geraint Wyn Davies as Sir Toby Belch Tom Rooney as Sir Andrew Aguecheek E.B. Smith as Orsino Shannon Taylor as Olivia Guys and Dolls | Directed and choreographed by DONNA FEORE Sean Arbuckle as Nathan Detroit Evan Buliung as Sky Masterson Alexis Gordon as Sarah Brown Blythe Wilson as Miss Adelaide Lisa Horner as General Matilda B. Cartwright Laurie Murdoch as Arvide Abernathy Steve Ross as Nicely-Nicely Johnson Romeo and Juliet | Directed by SCOTT WENTWORTH Sara Farb as Juliet Antoine Yared as Romeo Seana McKenna as Nurse Marion Adler as Lady Capulet Wayne Best as Friar Laurence Evan Buliung as Mercutio Randy Hughson as Capulet
Tartuffe | Directed by CHRIS ABRAHAM Tom Rooney as Tartuffe Graham Abbey as Orgon Maev Beaty as Elmire Michael Blake as Cleante Rosemary Dunsmore as Mme Pernelle Anusree Roy as Dorine Treasure Island | Directed by MITCHELL CUSHMAN Thomas Mitchell Barnet as Jim Hawkins Juan Chioran as Long John Silver! HMS Pinafore | Directed by LEZLIE WADE Jennifer Rider-Shaw as Josephine Mark Uhre as Ralph Rackstraw Lisa Horner as Little Buttercup Laurie Murdoch as Sir Joseph Porter Steve Ross as Captain CorcoranThe School for Scandal | Directed by ANTONI CIMOLINO Shannon Taylor as Lady Teazle Geraint Wyn Davies as Sir Peter Teazle Joseph Ziegler as Sir Oliver Surface Maev Beaty as Lady Sneerwell Brent Carver as Rowley Sébastien Heins as Charles Surface Tyrone Savage as Joseph Surface Brigit Wilson as Mrs. Candour Timon of Athens | Directed by STEPHEN OUIMETTE Joseph Ziegler as Timon Tim Campbell as Alcibiades Ben Carlson as Apemantus Michael Spencer-Davis as Flavius The Changeling | Directed by JACKIE MAXWELL Ben Carlson as De Flores Mikaela Davies as Beatrice-Joanna Cyrus Lane as Alsemero
Bakkhai | Directed by JILLIAN KEILEY Mac Fyfe as Dionysos Lucy Peacock as Agave Graham Abbey as Teiresias Gordon S. Miller as PentheusThe Madwoman of Chaillot | Directed by DONNA FEORE Seana McKenna as Aurélie, The Madwoman of Chaillot Wayne Best as The Prospector Ben Carlson as The President Yanna McIntosh as Josephine, The Madwoman of Concorde Scott Wentworth as The Ragman The Virgin Trial | Directed by ALAN DILWORTH World Première: A Stratford Festival Commission Bahia Watson as Bess Nigel Bennett as Ted Laura Condlln as Ashley Sara Farb as Mary Brad Hodder as Thom Yanna McIntosh as Eleanor André Morin as Parry The Breathing Hole | Directed by RENELTTA ARLUK World Première: A Stratford Festival Commission Randy Hughson as Sir John Franklin Jani Lauzon as Aga The Komagata Maru Incident | Directed by KEIRA LOUGHRAN Quelemia Sparrow as T.S. Kiran Ahluwalia as Woman Tickets for the 2017 season go on sale to Festival Members beginning November 28 and to the public on January 6.
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2017 Season Partners: BMO Financial Group, RBC Royal Bank, Scotiabank, Union Gas Limited
Fans of the Stratford Festival need no introduction to Scott Wentworth. In this past season, he was seen as Banquo in Macbeth, Duke Frederick in As You Like It and the title role of the rarely staged John Gabriel Borkman. Over his 22 years with the Festival, Mr. Wentworth has portrayed such other memorable roles as Gloucester in King Lear, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Iago in Othello and the title role in Macbeth. He is also a seasoned director of classical theatre productions throughout the United States, as well as the 2001 Stratford Festival productions of Henry IV, parts 1 and 2, and last season's The Adventures of Pericles. "I am thrilled to be making my Festival Stage directorial debut in 2017," he says "It's a great honour." Having appeared in productions of Romeo and Juliet, over the years, Mr. Wentworth is no stranger to the play - which he has also directed before, at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in 2012. He can't wait to take on the task of working on it anew. "One of the biggest challenges of presenting Romeo and Juliet is that it is perceived as being too familiar by audiences," he says. "It is a play that has become so ingrained in our cultural consciousness that there is almost a kind of complacency about it whenever it is staged. "Our task ahead will be to remind people of the great power of the piece. After all, there is a reason it is still so beloved to this day - it continues to speak to us and have a rich life."
Over the coming months, there will be a great deal of preparation to do ahead of the start of rehearsals, beginning with in-depth work on the text. "In our production, we really want to question and challenge our assumptions about the play and its language. Over the centuries, we have built up and accumulated so many perceptions about it that we almost don't see the real story at the core. We want to actively sandblast the play to its very bones so that we can discover just what William Shakespeare did with his original source material." It is too early to say much about the production's design, other than that the play will be set in the Elizabethan era, when it was written. Again, Mr. Wentworth warns against any complacency that audiences might be tempted to feel about this choice of period. "It will be contemporary to Shakespeare's time," he says. "But I am hesitant to call it simply a 'period piece' with lovely costumes. This is not meant to be in any way museum-like: we want it to look like these people actually wear these clothes, and truly inhabit the world the audience will see on stage. It will not be emotionally remote - it will be vital and still speak directly to today's audience in their own world." Mr. Wentworth disagrees with those who perceive Romeo and Juliet as a lesser tragedy than Hamlet or King Lear; he considers it every bit as poignant and hard-hitting as those later plays. "There is this weird reverse snobbery: the idea that it's just a play about fickle youth," he says. "But it is as profound in its exploration of young people's tragedy as King Lear is for the old. "The story is a series of escalating events with truly devastating repercussions. It is very much about Verona and its corrupt culture - about a particular class of people and how they run their lives, and what happens when Romeo and Juliet bump up against it and try to re-identify themselves on their own terms. "It is a way of life and economic structure that cannot be sustained. As the social fabric tears and rips, the children are sacrificed for the sake of security and wealth and an outmoded way of being. "What can be more tragic than the fact that the dominant class have caused the deaths of their own children and destroyed their future hopes? As we see around us in the world today, youth suicides are not unconnected to the larger issues in the cultures where they occur. It is the ultimate inversion of how a healthy society functions, and the reverberations go well beyond private and personal issues."
In short, even if you think you already know Romeo and Juliet inside out, you won't want to miss this opportunity to gain fresh insights into one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. "Make no mistake, this is a very rich story that can still be mined for new information. We want to turn aside the predictable expectations people may have about the play, and show them that this is not at all what Romeo and Juliet can be. It's so much more than swordfights, courtly dances and moonlit gardens. "We want to introduce the play to audiences anew so that they say, 'Now, this is a story I have to see again.' "
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Production support is generously provided by Barbara & John Schubert
Support for the 2017 season of the Festival Theatre is generously provided by Daniel Bernstein & Claire Foerster
2017 season tickets will be available to the general public online on Friday, January 6. Starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, January 7, you can buy your tickets in person at our Festival Theatre Box Office, or by phone at 1.800.567.1600.But why wait? Become a Stratford Festival Member right now and be able to book your 2017 tickets weeks before the general public - as early as November 28! There are membership options to suit every budget, and as a Member you enjoy special perks all year long including… » Early access to the best seats, at up to 25% off in-season rates » First opportunity to book in-demand performances, including 2-for-1 dates » A wide range of Member ticket discounts and exclusive benefits Find out more on our website, or contact our Membership Manager, Ceairy Free, at cfree@stratfordfestival.ca or 1.800.567.1600, extension 5501. We can't wait to welcome you back to our theatres next season!
Avoid the mad rush at the mall and enjoy stress-free holiday gift buying with Stratford Festival Gift Certificates. They're a perfect solution for theatre lovers of all ages: great for a favourite teacher, a special young person, kind neighbours, valued colleagues, your parents or even your sweetheart. Everyone is sure to love the endless possibilities presented by our Gift Certificates! Gift Certificates can be redeemed for: • Theatre tickets • Forum Events • Memberships • Stratford Festival Shop Merchandise Get a head start on your gift list and order yours today. For guaranteed holiday delivery by standard mail, please order online at stratfordfestival.ca/giftcertificates or call 1.800.567.1600 by December 8. You may also purchase in person at the Festival Theatre Box Office until December 24 at 2 p.m.Shop in person! If you happen to be in the Stratford area, why not stop by our downtown Stratford Festival Shop? Located next to the Avon Theatre at 99 Downie Street, it's a delightful place in which to browse through our large selection of wonderful books, DVDs, theatrical goodies, T-shirts, jewellery, toys and quality gift ideas! Our friendly staff can help you choose that perfect something for your special someone. If you can't make it to town, please explore our virtual shop online.
A must-have for any theatre lover, the second set of films in our exciting HD series is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. Our magnificent 2015 productions of Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew and The Adventures of Pericles are ready to purchase in person from our beautiful Stratford Festival Shop or online at stratfordfestival.ca/shop. Add to your existing 2014 collection, or start building your personal library of Stratford Festival HD films today! They also make the perfect holiday gift for all the theatre fans in your life. Want to experience HD on the go? Select titles are also available on iTunes , Amazon and Google Play.
Martin Hunter, author of the 2002 coffee-table book Romancing the Bard: Stratford at Fifty, has a new book coming out that reflects his passion for theatre and other performing arts. Bright Particular Stars is a comprehensive and fully illustrated history of more than thirty of the greatest Canadian performers in theatre, on screen and in popular music. Stage stars celebrated include Stratford Festival greats Colm Feore, Christopher Plummer and William Hutt. Film and television are represented by chapters on Sarah Polley, Robert Lepage and many more, while celebrities from the music world include Leonard Cohen, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Joni Mitchell.
Martin Hunter has worked in theatre since boyhood, as actor, director, writer and producer. Former artistic director of Hart House Theatre, he has also been a university teacher and arts journalist. He has written several plays and CBC Radio dramas and documentaries, and has published two collections of his essays. Lavishly illustrated with over 250 images, Bright Particular Stars is available at the Stratford Festival Shop next door to the Avon Theatre at 99 Downie Street, or online.