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Last Chance for Members’ Advance Tickets

It’s a busy time, but don’t forget: Members’ Priority Booking is on now!

 

In the midst of all your holiday planning, you may not be thinking about all of the spectacular 2018 Stratford Festival plays and musicals you'll want to see next year! Here are our top three reasons why you should book your Member tickets right now:
 
» 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

Don't delay! Our 2018 season tickets will go on sale to the general public online on Friday, January 5. Then, starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, January 6, they'll be available for purchase in person at the Festival Theatre Box Office or by phone at 1.800.567.1600.

From our families to yours, Happy Holidays!

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Enjoy Our 2018 Season Trailer!

Here’s your first glimpse of our thrilling new season.

We can't wait to share our glorious 2018 season with you! Here's a sneak peek at what we have in store. Savour this taste of the stunning drama, hilarious comedy and spectacular musicals coming to our stages next year - and please share this trailer with all of the theatre fans you know!

 

 

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Get Your Holiday Gifts All Wrapped Up

Need last-minute presents? Give Stratford Festival Gift Certificates!

Our Gift Certificates are available in any denomination, making them the perfect one-size-fits-all present for everyone on your list. They can be used in an almost endless number of ways for a gift tailor-made to the lucky recipient's own individual taste. Best of all, they can be delivered right to your door - nothing could be easier!

For instant gratification, you can buy your Gift Certificates any time online and have them delivered to you electronically - available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including December 25!
 
Gift Certificates can be redeemed for:

- Theatre tickets
- Membership donations
- Warehouse, garden and backstage tours
- Specialty items from our Stratford Festival Shops


…and much, much more!

For guaranteed holiday delivery of physical gift certificates by standard mail, please order by December 8. You may also purchase in person at the Festival Theatre Box Office or the Stratford Festival Shop at 99 Downie Street until 2 p.m. on December 24.



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Relax with Our Winter Reading List

Time to put up your feet and enjoy a good book from our very own Stratford Festival Shop.

Books make the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday gift list, or as a special way to pass some quiet hours on a cold winter's day. Drop by our shop to browse in person, or search online through our great selection of theatre- and Shakespeare-related books for readers of all ages. It's a great way to get ready for next season's productions!

Click on the titles below for more information - or to order!

THE BEST OF THE CLASSICS

John Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the greatest poems in the English language: a work epic both in scale and, notoriously, in ambition. For nearly 350 years, it has held generation upon generation of audiences in rapt attention, and its profound influence can be seen in almost every corner of Western culture.

The Signet Classics edition of The Best of Oscar Wilde: Selected Plays and Writings contains his five major plays; two interviews with the playwright at the peak of his career, in which Wilde discusses his work - and his critics; a selection of his most brilliant critical writings, in which he discusses the nature of art in terms that anticipate much of today's literary theory; and an appendix that restores valuable lines that appeared in the original text of The Importance of Being Earnest. With an introduction by Sylvan Barnet and a new afterword by Marylu Hill.


Uniting each of the sisters' best novels in one handsome volume,The Brontë Sisters: Three Novels is a must for anyone fascinated by this singularly talented family. Includes Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë.
 
One of the best-loved classics of all time, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many distinctions since its original publication in 1960. It has won the Pulitzer Prize, been translated into more than 40 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. It was also named the best novel of the 20th century by librarians across the country (Library Journal). HarperCollins is proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the book's publication.

The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee is the story of Chicago Tribune journalist Marja Mills's friendship with the Lee sisters. It's a testament to the great intelligence, sharp wit and tremendous storytelling power of both these women. Mills was given a rare opportunity to know Nelle Harper Lee, to be part of the Lees' life in Alabama, and to hear them reflect on their upbringing, their corner of the Deep South, how To Kill a Mockingbird affected their lives and why Nelle Harper Lee chose to never write another novel.

I Am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee. In this riveting portrait, author Charles J. Shields reveals the story of Harper Lee by piecing together hundreds of interviews with her classmates, friends and neighbours, and by delving into forgotten archives. The result is an in-depth look at the unconventional, high-spirited woman who drew on her love of writing and her Southern home to create an American classic that continues to speak to new generations of readers.

Up Close: Harper Lee. Author Kerry Madden conducted extensive research and personal interviews in Lee's hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, for this biography. In it, she reveals Lee to be a down-to-earth Southern woman who still prefers to live simply, like her neighbours, despite the fact that she's a treasured literary legend.

Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical play Long Day's Journey into Night is regarded as his finest work. First published by Yale University Press in 1956, it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1957 and has since sold more than one million copies. This edition, which includes a new foreword by Harold Bloom, coincided with a production of the play starring Brian Dennehy in Chicago in January 2002 and in New York in April of that year.

MUSICAL MAYHEM!
The Rocky Horror Treasury: A Tribute to the Ultimate Cult Classic Musical. Including behind-the-scenes stories, pull-out-items, photos and sounds, this interactive book by authors Sal Piro and Larry Viezel truly lives up to its title. With a forward by Richard O'Brien.

The Rocky Horror Show Vocal Selections. This exclusive 40th-anniversary songbook by Richard O'Brien is complete with a lavish photo section and rarely seen scrapbook memorabilia from the composer. The Rocky Horror Show was always big on audience participation, so here's your chance to sing along with the music! The included card gives you instantly downloadable sound-alike backing tracks.

The Music Man Vocal Selections includes eight vocal selections from one of the most beloved musicals ever: "Gary, Indiana," "Goodnight, My Someone," "It's You," "Lida Rose," "My White Knight," "Seventy-Six Trombones," "Till There Was You" and "The Wells Fargo Wagon."

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BRUSH UP YOUR SHAKESPEARE
We have a selection of fine editions of the upcoming season's Shakespeare plays - all with insightful notes - from RSC, Oxford World's Classics, The New Cambridge Shakespeare and The Arden Shakespeare. Browse and find your copies of The Tempest, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar and The Comedy of Errors in-store or at our online shop.

SHAKESPEARE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
The Tempest for Kids. Children's enthusiasm for Lois Burdett's adapted Shakespeare is evident in the wonderful drawings and anecdotes created by the renowned teacher's Grade 2 and 3 students at Hamlet Elementary School in Stratford, Ontario. Together with the five other books in the successful and beautifully produced Shakespeare Can Be Fun! series, The Tempest will delight teachers, parents, and children.
 
No Fear Shakespeare: The Tempest gives you the complete text of the original play on the left-hand page, side-by-side with an easy-to-understand translation on the right. Also available are No Fear Shakespeare: Julius Caesar and No Fear Shakespeare: The Comedy of Errors.

Manga Shakespeare: Julius Caesar. In Shakespeare's enduring tale of ancient Rome, Julius Caesar is at the height of his powers, but there are men plotting his destruction. Is Caesar a tyrant or a dynamic leader? Are his enemies greedy or noble? Author Richard Appignanesi's adaptation of this important work maintains the language - and the fierce political intrigue - of the original, while including a fresh perspective through the style of modern manga.

Come on in!
The above is just a small taste of what we have in store! Please drop by the Stratford Festival Shop next to the Avon Theatre at 99 Downie Street in Stratford to browse through our large selection of wonderful books, DVDs, puzzles, games, jewellery and theatrical gift ideas, or explore our online store.

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Stratford Festival HD – the Perfect Holiday Gift!

From stage to screen – enjoy our glorious HD Shakespeare series on DVD and Blu-ray.

A must-have for any theatre lover, eight stunning productions from our acclaimed HD film series - King Lear, King John, Antony and Cleopatra, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, The Adventures of Pericles, Macbeth and Love's Labour's Lost - are all now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
 

You can buy your copies in person from the Avon Theatre Shop at 99 Downie Street - or, if you don't live close by, shop online.

They make the perfect holiday gift for all the Shakespeare fans on your list!

 


 Stratford Festival HD is sponsored by Sun Life Financial as part of their Making the Arts More Accessible™ program.

Support for Stratford Festival HD is generously provided by The John and Myrna Daniels Charitable Foundation, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, the Jenkins Family Foundation, the Henry White Kinnear Foundation, Ophelia & Mike Lazaridis, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Sandra & Jim Pitblado, the Slaight Family Foundation, Robert & Jacqueline Sperandio, and an anonymous donor.

Support for Stratford Festival HD has also been provided by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

Canadian distribution is through Cineplex, which specializes in bringing world-class events and performances to the big screen.

Screenings are followed by a broadcast window on CBC, Canada's national public broadcaster.

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Unmissable Forum Events – and a Special Deal!

Bundle a few of our exciting Forum events, and you can save up to 50%!

The ever-popular Forum is back in 2018, bringing you a wide range of fascinating guest speakers, special performances, delicious dining events, interactive workshops and much, much more. Here's a peek at just some of the highlights in store for you next season.

Song and Dance:The Music Man | June 24, July 11, August 14
Find out what it's like to be in a musical at the Stratford Festival. Company members teach you a song and dance from one of this season's hottest musicals.
 
Or, for something completely different… !

Song and Dance:The Rocky Horror Show | July 20, August 10, September 1

Steven Page and Art of Time | July 13
Steven Page teams up with the virtuosic Art of Time Ensemble in a concert of works by Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, Radiohead, Barenaked Ladies, Elvis Costello and others, reinvented by some of the greatest minds in classical, pop and jazz and delivered by a defining voice in contemporary rock.
 
Songs from Up From Paradise | July 23
In celebration of legendary composer Stanley Silverman's 80th birthday, Festival artists present selections from his musical Up From Paradise. With book and lyrics by Arthur Miller, it's a delightful musical retelling of God's battle with Lucifer for control of Adam and Eve.

Not to be missed!
We are thrilled to be bringing one of the world's most celebrated authors back to Stratford!

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In Conversation with Margaret Atwood | September 8
With her latest book, Hag-Seed (a novel re-visitation of Shakespeare's The Tempest), and two of her novels, Alias Grace and The Handmaid's Tale, adapted into hit television series, award-winning Canadian author, essayist, poet and environmental activist Margaret Atwood certainly has her finger on the pulse of our world today. She returns to the Forum for a candid conversation with Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino.

Free Events: Meet the Festival and Lobby Talks
Please note that, due to space limitations during next season's anticipated building works, we have reduced the number of free events. Don't worry: we'll still be offering many of our popular free events, and we'd love you to join us for our Meet the Festival and Lobby Talks series! Although there's no entrance charge, we ask that you please book a ticket, as we will have limited numbers of seats available, particularly for the events in the Chalmers Lounge. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!

One of the big highlights of Meet the Festival will be a talk with Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino on August 22! Don't miss your chance to get in on what's sure to be a lively and engaging Q&A.

So, so much more to come - stay tuned!
For a comprehensive list of events, dates and details, please visit us online. As more dates and guests are added, we will be updating our schedule of Forum offerings. Please check back often at What's On.

Special Forum Deal!
Buy before January 31 to expand your experience - and your savings*!

Buy 6 tickets - save 30%
Buy 10 tickets - save 40%
Buy 15 tickets - save 50%

Login using promotion code FORUMDEAL to grab this deal. Once logged in, simply add the Forum events of your choice to your shopping cart while ordering your tickets.

*The Forum Deal excludes all Forum Meal and Free Forum events. To get this great deal, all Forum tickets must be booked in a single order. Discount will be applied automatically at checkout.

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Seana McKenna stars in Groundling Theatre’s LEAR

Enjoy great Shakespeare – featuring many well-known Festival faces – in Toronto during our seasonal downtime.

Shakespeare lovers won't want to miss this groundbreaking and powerful interpretation of one of his greatest tragedies. Directed by Stratford Festival veteran Graham Abbey, LEAR will be mounted at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre in Toronto from January 9 to 28, as the widely acclaimed Groundling celebrates its fifth anniversary.

Award-winning actor Seana McKenna will be surrounded by an all-star cast of Stratford, Shaw and television stalwarts: Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) as the Fool, Shaw veteran Jim Mezon as the Earl of Gloucester, Kevin Hanchard (Orphan Black) as the Earl of Kent, Shaw and Stratford favourites Deborah Hay as Goneril and Diana Donnelly as Regan, Alex Poch-Golden (The Calling) as Cornwall, Antoine Yared (Stratford's most recent Romeo) as Edgar, Alex McCooeye (Letterkenny, Soulpepper Theatre) as Edmund, Mercedes Morris (Stratford's Tartuffe) as Cordelia, and Augusto Bitter as Oswald. Music will be provided by George Meanwell and Graham Hargrove.

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"This one is pretty special for me, as I get to work alongside my great friend and mentor Seana McKenna on one of Shakespeare's true masterpieces," says Mr. Abbey, founder and artistic director of Groundling Theatre Company. "For several years now, I have been interested in an examination of this play through a maternal lens, and I am thrilled we have been able to assemble such a stellar group of artists to go on the journey with us. I have to say I am truly grateful and humbled by the support Groundling has received over the years from a loyal contingent of Stratford supporters, and I hope we will see many friendly faces this January at Harbourfront."
 
For full schedule information and to order tickets,click here, email or call (416) 973-4000.
 
Check out this great Festival deal!
Groundling is happy to offer Stratford Festival fans a special discount. Enjoy 15% off any weekday performance when you reference or input the name "Stratford" as you place your order.