Avon Theatre

May 16 – October 10 |

Opens June 4

Classic Comedy

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER

by Oliver Goldsmith
Directed by Martha Henry

Audience Advisory »

The beau Kate desires is too shy to talk to her – until he mistakes her for a barmaid. Can she make him love her for who she really is? From the elegant 18th century comes a classic comedy that will delight the whole family.

This production is dedicated to the memory of former company member Joyce Campion.

MEIGHEN FORUM EVENTS

CAST & CREATIVE

CAST

2015: Mrs. Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank and Mrs. Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer. 28th season. Stratford: Highlights: Mary Stuart, Judith Bliss (Hay Fever), Mrs. Sullen (The Beaux' Stratagem), Elora (The Thrill), Late Night with Lucy, Masha (Three Sisters), Dolly (Hello, Dolly!), Anna (The King and I), Nana (For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again), The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead, Ursla the Pigwoman (Bartholomew Fair), Regan (King Lear - a Tony-nominated production), Rosalind, Viola, Portia, Lady Macbeth, Beatrice, Desdemona, the Duchess of Malfi. Elsewhere: Arkadina in The Seagull (Segal Centre), Queen Lear at the University of Northern Colorado and author of Limericks by Lucy Peacock as the Duchess of Malfi: Written as She Lay Dead on the Stage. Et cetera: "Celebrating my wondrous family and our beautiful farm. This season is dedicated to Bernard Hopkins and Jay Klassen. Keep a song in your heart and a smile behind your eyes."

2015: Mr. Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, Mr. Richard Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer and Henry in The Last Wife. Eighth season. Stratford: Joseph Ziegler was part of the Stratford company from 1983 to 1987, acting in Love's Labour's Lost, Henry IV, Part 1, A Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear, Twelfth Night, The Winter's Tale, Cymbeline, Pericles, Measure for Measure and many others. In 2000 he directed Paul Gross as Hamlet, and in 2009 he appeared in Morris Panych's play The Trespassers. Elsewhere: Founding member of Soulpepper, where he has directed and acted in many plays, including Our Town, Death of a Salesman and A Christmas Carol. He has had a long association with the Shaw Festival, as an actor and as director of plays such as When We Are Married, Harvey, Major Barbara and Widowers' Houses.

2015: Miep Gies in The Diary of Anne Frank, Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer and Kate in The Last Wife. Second season. Stratford: Goneril (King Lear), Hippolyta (A Midsummer Night's Dream). Elsewhere: Maev Beaty is a theatre-maker, actor, writer, voice artist and mother. Maev's recent stage credits, apart from her debut season last year here at the Stratford Festival, include The De Chardin Project (Theatre Passe Muraille); Passion Play (Sheep No Wool, Outside the March, Convergence); La Ronde, Parfumerie (Soulpepper); Proud by Michael Healey; Civility (Necessary Angel); and Terminus (Outside the March), winner of the SummerWorks Jury Prize and part of the inaugural "Off-Mirvish" season at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Maev's "coming-out party" in Toronto was Canadian Stage's 2008 season, in which she played Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream and premièred Judith Thompson's Palace of the End. Titania, Katerina and Antigone followed and she has since performed in 22 Canadian premières and been a proud member of huge theatre endeavours such as Theatrefront's The Mill series, Volcano Theatre's Another Africa (Luminato/Canadian Stage) and The Penelopiad (Nightwood). Awards: Maev is a multi-Dora Award winner (The Penelopiad, Passion Play) and has gathered eight Dora nominations, for performance in Proud, Terminus, Dance of the Red Skirts (Theatre Columbus) and The Happy Woman (Nightwood), and for performance and writing of Montparnasse, which she co-created with Erin Shields and Andrea Donaldson. Montparnasse also won the Enbridge playRites Award. Online: maevbeaty.com. Twitter: @sheepnowool. Et cetera: Maev is Co-Artistic Director of Sheep No Wool with her husband, director Alan Dilworth, and an Artistic Associate of both Groundwater Productions and Outside the March. Projects created with these companies include the Edward Bond Festival; Passion Play by Sarah Ruhl; ma jolie and The Unforgetting (winner, SummerWorks Jury Prize), both by Alan Dilworth; Montparnasse and Goblin Market. She is currently an artist-in-residence at Toronto's Theatre Centre, co-creating a new show about the secret lives of mothers.

2015: Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, Constance Neville in She Stoops to Conquer and Mary in The Last Wife. Third season. Stratford: King Lear (Cordelia), The Beaux' Stratagem (Cherry), A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice (Jessica), Romeo and Juliet, The Three Musketeers. Elsewhere: Writer and star of her one-woman play R-E-B-E-C-C-A (Theatre Passe Muraille); Natalie in Next to Normal (Citadel Theatre/Theatre Calgary co-production; Tarragon Theatre); Adele in The Passion of Adele Hugo (Eastern Front Theatre); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Canadian Stage); The Sisters Rosensweig (Harold Green Jewish Theatre); Edges, The UnCovered concert series (Acting Up Stage); The Wizard of Oz (YPT); Jane Eyre, Oliver! (Mirvish). Film/TV: The Firm, The Listener, Covert Affairs, Celine. Awards: Mary Savidge Award; 2013 Calgary Theatre Critics Award winner, Sterling Award nominee (both for Next to Normal ); Robert Merritt Award nominee for Adele Hugo. Training: Birmingham Conservatory, 2013-2014. Et cetera: "Thank you, NLM, my family and James."

2015: Young Charles Marlow in She Stoops to Conquer and appears in The Diary of Anne Frank and Oedipus Rex. Fourth season. Stratford: Edmund in King Lear, Starveling in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cassio in Othello, O'Kelly in Mary Stuart and appeared in The Beaux' Stratagem, Measure for Measure, Cymbeline and Elektra. Elsewhere: Hohenzollern in The Prince of Homburg (TIFT); Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (Neptune); Darcy in Pride and Prejudice (Grand); Paul in Hail (RCAT); Freder in Pains of Youth, Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Ernest in The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine (c2c); Sin in Fear of Flight (Artistic Fraud); Clarke in No Man's Land (Rising Tide). Directing: Henry IV, Part 1, Caesar, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Perchance); The Leisure Society, Autobahn, The Stendhal Syndrome (c2c). Film/TV: Reign (CW); Republic of Doyle, Diverted, Above and Beyond (CBC). Training: BFA (Acting), University of Alberta; Birmingham Conservatory.

2015: Tony Lumpkin in She Stoops to Conquer, appears in Oedipus Rex and understudy in The Diary of Anne Frank. Second season. Stratford: Antony and Cleopatra, Mother Courage and Her Children, King John. Elsewhere: Chicago Shakespeare Theater (A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew), Steppenwolf Theatre Company (workshop - The March), Shattered Globe Theatre (Happy Now?), Hartford Stage Company (The Crucible), Eugene O'Neill Theater Center (House of Gold), Highlands Playhouse, Wisconsin Theatreworks (The Buddy Holly Story) and the Adler Studio (La Ronde, Pow'rful Rhyme). As a musician, Karack has also been seen around the United States with The Winter Dance Party, the official recreation of the final tour of Buddy Holly. Training: Birmingham Conservatory 2013-2015, The School at Steppenwolf and The Stella Adler Studio. Online: Twitter: @KarackOsborn. Et cetera: "Love to family, Kameron and the WP2010. Love and thanks always to Brian."

2015: George Hastings in She Stoops to Conquer and appears in The Diary of Anne Frank and Oedipus Rex. Fifth season. Stratford: Simon Bliss (Hay Fever), Lion (Alice Through the Looking-Glass), Lorenzo (The Merchant of Venice), Tybalt (Romeo and Juliet), Jussac (The Three Musketeers), Claudio (Much Ado About Nothing), Gloucester (Henry V), Floyd (The Grapes of Wrath). Elsewhere: A Life in the Theatre, Wait Until Dark, Howie the Rookie, The Zoo Story,The Bear, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, Arcadia, Jerry Springer - The Opera, A Musical Called Robin Hood, Miss Julie, At the Black Pig's Dyke, The Warrior Bard, This Bloody Business, Yerma, Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Film/TV: Wind at My Back, Instant Star, Total Drama Island, Stoked, Redwall. Directing: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Shrew (Red One). Training: Birmingham Conservatory, Circle in the Square. Online: Twitter: @savageuponavon. Tyrone is a founding member of Red One Theatre Collective and Storefront Theatre.

2015: Sir Charles Marlow in She Stoops to Conquer, Teiresias, Shepherd in Oedipus Rex and appears in The Diary of Anne Frank. Fifth season. Stratford: Mary Stuart, Measure for Measure, The Thrill, Richard III, Cymbeline, The Merry Wives of Windsor, King of Thieves, Peter Pan. Elsewhere (selected): Grand, London: Calendar Girls, Kingfisher Days. Grand, Kingston: Blue/Orange. MTC/Mirvish: Medea. Neptune: Scrooge, Art, Closer, Hamlet, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Retreat from Moscow, A Few Good Men, The Price, The Goat, The Sound of Music, Betrayal. Wyndham's (London, England): The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. World tour of The Last Confession. Film/TV (selected): Saving Hope, The Border, Lexx, Murdoch Mysteries, Forever Knight, Hotel Metropolitan, Psi Factor, Strike!, Murder at 1600, The Skulls, Narrow Margin, The Kennedys, Counterstrike, Sea Wolf. Awards: Gemini, Best Supporting Actor, 1996; ACTRA Maritimes Award, Best Actor, 2008 and 2009. Other: Co-author, Keeper of the King, His Father's Son, Siege Perilous. Online: www.blackhatstation.com.

2015: Dick Muggins, Jeremy in She Stoops to Conquer and appears in The Diary of Anne Frank and Oedipus Rex. Third season. Stratford: Eros in Antony and Cleopatra, Robert Faulconbridge in King John, Ensign in Mother Courage, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Bicarat in The Three Musketeers, Leonardo in The Merchant of Venice. Elsewhere: Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Red One/Storefront Theatre), Ashley in Gone with the Wind (Manitoba Theatre Centre), Dorante in The Game of Love and Chance (Odyssey Theatre), Todd in Courageous (New Stages), Art in The Mail Order Bride (Blyth Festival), Borachio/Friar Francis in Much Ado About Nothing (Driftwood Theatre). Film/TV: Guest appearances on Rookie Blue, The Bridge and Murdoch Mysteries. Training: Mount Royal College Performance Program, National Theatre School of Canada. Online: Twitter: @DanielJackB. Et cetera: Daniel would like to thank Katie, Debra and Denis for all of their love and support!

2015: Mr. van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank, Jack Slang in She Stoops to Conquer and Messenger in Oedipus Rex. Fifth season. Stratford: Alice Through the Looking-Glass (Mad Hatter), Hay Fever (David Bliss), Christina, The Girl King (Chanut), Hamlet (Rosencrantz), As You Like It (Touchstone), The Comedy of Errors (Dromio of Syracuse), Sweet Bird of Youth (Scotty). Elsewhere: The Millionairess, His Girl Friday, Three Men on a Horse, Harlequinade, The Plow and the Stars, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Easy Virtue, Heartbreak House (Shaw Festival); Parfumerie, A Christmas Carol, The Time of Your Life, The Importance of Being Earnest, King Lear, Glengarry Glen Ross, Jitters, Our Town, The Odd Couple, The Chairs (Soulpepper); Boy Gets Girl, How I Learned to Drive, Romeo and Juliet (Mercutio), Angels in America (Joe Pitt) (Canadian Stage); The Constant Wife, August: Osage County (Citadel); Holiday, All My Sons (Theatre Calgary); The Clockmaker (Tarragon). Awards: Dora Award. Training: National Theatre School.

2015: Pimple in She Stoops to Conquer and Servant in Oedipus Rex. 12th season. Stratford: Mrs. Lottie Child (Crazy for You), Filumena (Filumena), Juno Boyle (Juno and the Paycock), Jean Brodie (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie), The Woman (The Human Voice), Mrs. Bennet (Pride and Prejudice), Ruth Draper (a compilation), Maxine (The Night of the Iguana), Big Mama (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). Elsewhere: Citadel Theatre: Dotty (Noises Off), Mrs. Bennet (Pride and Prejudice), Sister Aloysius (Doubt). Canadian Stage: Eduardo's Saturday, Sunday, Monday (Dora Award); Rose (Rose) (Dora Award). Film and TV: Harvest (DuMaurier ACTRA Best Newcomer to Television), You've Come a Long Way, Katie (ACTRA, Gemini), Aunt Janet (Road to Avonlea) (ACTRA). Seven seasons as Kate Brown in Hangin' In, and many pleasant years in the world of radio commercials and drama. She's very happy to be a part of the 2015 season.

2015: Mr. Kraler in The Diary of Anne Frank, Tom Twist, Oliver in She Stoops to Conquer and appears in Oedipus Rex. Fourth season. Stratford: King John (James Gurney), Mother Courage, Antony and Cleopatra, Henry V, Wanderlust, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Peter Simple), Twelfth Night (Valentine). Birmingham Conservatory: The Winter's Tale (Camillo), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck). Elsewhere: The Postman Walks (artistic contributor) (Appledore Productions); Oil and Water (Artistic Fraud); (re)Birth: E.E. Cummings in Song, Oh What a Lovely War, Window on Toronto, A Chorus of Disapproval, She Stoops to Conquer (Soulpepper); Hair (Canadian Stage); The Taming of the Shrew (ShakespeareWorks). Film/TV (favourites): Hannibal (Roland Umber) (NBC); The Space (TVOKids host/producer); The Ladies' Man (Young Leon Phelps) (Paramount); System Crash (YTV). Radio/Recordings: Steam Whistle; Tommy Zoom, TVOKids. Training: Claude Watson School for the Arts, RCM Canada, George Brown Theatre School, Birmingham Conservatory. Online: @RyanFieldActor. Et cetera: Ryan is a recipient of a Tyrone Guthrie Award. His music is on iTunes.

2015: Landlady Noll Stingo in She Stoops to Conquer, Chorus Leader in Oedipus Rex and appears in The Diary of Anne Frank. Second season. Stratford: Yvette in Mother Courage and appeared in King John and Antony and Cleopatra. Elsewhere: Myra Bennett (Tempting Providence, Theatre Newfoundland Labrador); Gnat (Alice Through the Looking-Glass, NAC); Katherine (The Taming of the Shrew), Nurse (Romeo and Juliet) (New Curtain); Minnie (Salvage, Artistic Fraud); Beatrice (The Servant of Two Masters, Wonderbolt); Christine (How it Works, PTE); Mary (Rocking the Cradle, Tarragon); Holly (Kiss the Sun, Kiss the Moon, WCTC); Marilyn (The Battery, Poverty Cove); Helen (February, Rising Tide); Agnes (Marion Bridge, Bare Boards). Film/TV: Heyday!, Republic of Doyle, Last of the Snow, Four Sisters (shorts). Radio/Recordings: The Grey Islands, Hard Light (Rattling Books). Training: BFA, Memorial University, Newfoundland. Et cetera: Deidre is a founding member of Bare Boards Theatre, a company based in Newfoundland, committed to creating contemporary theatre with Spartan and inventive methods.

2015: Peter van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank, Diggory, Little Aminadab in She Stoops to Conquer and appears in Oedipus Rex. Third season. Stratford: Motel in Fiddler on the Roof, Young Son in Mother Courage and Her Children, French Herald in King John, Petruchio in Romeo and Juliet. Elsewhere: Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Anselmo in Man of La Mancha (Theatre by the Bay); Henry in Next to Normal (Clearwater Theatre); Malcolm in The Full Monty (Moonpath Productions). Training: George Brown Theatre School, Birmingham Conservatory. Et cetera: "Much love to all my friends and family, and many thanks to Mom, Dad, Alex, Daniel, Grandma, Caroline, Frank and Shari."

2015: Mr. Dussel in The Diary of Anne Frank, Kreon in Oedipus Rex and understudy in She Stoops to Conquer. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: John Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest, March Hare/Narrator in Alice Through the Looking-Glass, Tony Blair in Stuff Happens (2014-15 English Theatre Acting Ensemble, National Arts Centre); John in After Miss Julie (Red One Theatre); Civility (Necessary Angel); Pyrrus in Andromache (Necessary Angel/Luminato); Laertes/Player Queen in Hamlet (Necessary Angel/World Stage). Film/TV: Murdoch Mysteries.Training: Queen's University, Trinity College, Dublin. Awards: 2012 Canada Council John Hirsch Prize for Directing, 2008 K.M. Hunter Award for Theatre. Et cetera: Artistic Director of Human Cargo: humancargo.ca. Upcoming: Director and co-playwright of Dust, a Human Cargo/Crow's Theatre co-production at Buddies in Bad Times, November 2015.

2015: Roger in She Stoops to Conquer, Thom in The Last Wife and appears in The Diary of Anne Frank. 12th season. Stratford: Unicorn/Carpenter (Alice Through the Looking-Glass), Sandy Tyrell (Hay Fever), Lodovico (Othello), Don John (Much Ado About Nothing), Louis the Dauphin (Henry V), Richmond (Richard III), Hosanna (Hosanna), Ferdinand (The Tempest), Proteus (The Two Gentlemen of Verona), Malcolm (Macbeth) (twice), Romeo (Romeo and Juliet), Nathaniel (Love's Labour's Lost), Edgar (King Lear), Gratiano (The Merchant of Venice), Pierrot (Don Juan), Cromwell (Henry VIII). Elsewhere: Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet) (MTC); Clown (The 39 Steps) (Globe Theatre); Simon/Wahab (Scorched)(Citadel/Tarragon); Pierrot (Don Juan) (Théâtre du Nouveau Monde); Narrator (The Rape of Lucrece) (Theatre Ste. Catherine); Henry V (Henry V) (Gravy Bath). Training: National Theatre School, John Abbott College, Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre. Awards: Michael Mawson Award, Chalmers Training Award. Et cetera: "Much love to Sarah and my girls."

2015: Alfred in She Stoops to Conquer and appears in Oedipus Rex. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Andrews/Louis St. Laurent in The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (Artistic Fraud); Leontes in The Winter's Tale, Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, Malvolio in Twelfth Night (Rising Tide Theatre); Antonio in The Merchant of Venice, King Henry in Henry IV, Part 2, Antonio in The Tempest, Cléante in Tartuffe (Perchance Theatre Co.). Directing: All's Well That Ends Well and Cymbeline for Shakespeare by the Sea. Film/TV: Republic of Doyle, Duley Gardens, Gullages, Diverted, Behind the Wall, Making Love in St. Pierre. Awards: Finalist for the Winterset Award for his novel The Silent Time.

2015: Brigit in She Stoops to Conquer and appears in The Diary of Anne Frank and Oedipus Rex. Second season. Stratford: King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Beaux' Stratagem. Elsewhere: Mrs. Perks in The Railway Children (Marquis/Mirvish), Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (The Grand Theatre), Kellyanne in Pobby and Dingan (YPT), Anne Catherick in The Woman in White (Theatre Aquarius), Eloise in The Eyes of Heaven (Blyth Festival). Film/TV: Copper (BBC America); The Kennedys (Muse Entertainment); Murdoch Mysteries (City TV); Rookie Blue (ABC). Training: Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre (2013-2104 and 2014-2015); George Brown Theatre School; Meadows School of the Arts (Southern Methodist University). Et cetera: Laura would like to thank her father for his never-ending love and support and dedicates her time in Stratford to the memory of her mother.

2015: Margot Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, Rose in She Stoops to Conquer and Priest in Oedipus Rex. Second season. Stratford: Liesl in The Sound of Music; Inherit the Wind. Elsewhere: The Road to Mecca (Soulpepper); Pride and Prejudice (National Arts Centre/Theatre Calgary); True (Criminal Theatre/Aluna Theatre); Salt-Water Moon (Thousand Islands Playhouse); When the World Was Green, The Jones Boy (surface/underground theatre); A Midsummer Night's Dream, Little Women: The Musical, The Three Musketeers (Citadel Theatre); The Madonna Painter (Factory Theatre); Johnny Belinda, Pygmalion (Montgomery Theatre, P.E.I.); Scenes from the Bathhouse, Emily, The Inspector General (Talk Is Free Theatre). Recordings: Première CD recording of Cyrano featuring Brent Carver and David Rogers. Training: Birmingham Conservatory; Citadel/Banff Centre Professional Theatre Program; Ryerson Theatre School (BFA). Awards: Dora nomination for The Jones Boy (Outstanding Performance). Et cetera: "Deepest gratitude to my family, Martha, Angela and Peter for their love and support."

2015: Bet Bouncer in She Stoops to Conquer, Bess in The Last Wife and appears in The Diary of Anne Frank. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: The Seagull (Crow's Theatre/Company Theatre/Canadian Stage), Someone Else (Crow's Theatre/Canadian Stage), The Penelopiad (Nightwood Theatre), DISS (Mixed Company), A Raisin in the Sun (Soulpepper); pomme is french for apple (co-writer, producer and performer). Bahia Watson is an artist and storyteller. She is currently developing two new shows for the stage and a radio podcast series. Awards: Dora Award for Outstanding Performance Ensemble (The Penelopiad), RBC Footprint Award (presented by Obsidian Theatre). Online: www.bahiawatson.com. Twitter: @bahiawatson.

CREATIVE

2015: Director of She Stoops to Conquer. Director: Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre. 41st season. For Stratford: Director: Brief Lives (Douglas Rain), Richard II (Geordie Johnson), Richard III (Tom McCamus), Antony and Cleopatra (Peter Donaldson, Diane D'Aquila), Of Mice and Men (Graham Greene), An Enemy of the People (David Fox), Three Sisters (Lucy Peacock), Timothy Findley's Elizabeth Rex (Diane D'Aquila, Brent Carver), Measure for Measure (Geraint Wyn Davies), Mother Courage and Her Children (Seana McKenna). Artistic Director: London's Grand Theatre, 1988-1994. For the Shaw Festival:The Royal Family (Goldie Semple, Patricia Hamilton), Autumn Garden (Sharry Flett), Hedda Gabler (Moya O'Connell, Jim Mezon). Elsewhere: She has directed across Canada, including Red (Randy Hughson) for The Segal Centre in Montreal. Ms Henry has been honoured with a Governor General's Lifetime Achievement Award, Stratford's Legacy Award and seven honorary doctorates. She is a Companion of the Order of Canada.

2015: Set designer of Carousel and She Stoops to Conquer. 26th season. Stratford: Design coordinator for 22 seasons. Festival credits include Man of La Mancha, Hay Fever, Romeo and Juliet, The Three Musketeers, The Merchant of Venice, West Side Story, Cabaret, My One and Only, South Pacific, The Measure of Love, Ruth Draper on Tour, As You Like It, Patience, Macbeth, The Importance of Being Earnest, Collected Stories, Dracula, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, In the Ring and Waiting for Godot. Elsewhere: Director of Design for the opening of the Olympic Anti-Doping Headquarters, the 2011 Arab Games, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Opening, Medals and Closing Ceremonies and, most recently, the opening of the World Handball Championships in Doha. He has designed for television, theatre, film, touring productions and international events, and has created hundreds of productions for regional theatres across Canada and around the world.

2015: Costume designer of She Stoops to Conquer. 18th season. Stratford: Set and costume design for Antony and Cleopatra, Love's Labour's Lost, There Reigns Love, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ghosts, As You Like It. Costume design for The Merchant of Venice, The Brothers Karamazov, Titus Andronicus,The Taming of the Shrew and others. Elsewhere: Designs for the Shaw Festival, the Tarragon Theatre, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Charlottetown Festival, Canadian Stage, Theatre Calgary, the Citadel, the Globe Theatre, the Grand Theatre, the Belfry Theatre and the Blyth Festival. Training: Holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University. Awards: Recipient of five Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Outstanding Design, and nominations for Sterling Awards and Betty Mitchell Awards. Recipient of the Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award in Costume Design for 2009.

2015: Lighting designer of She Stoops to Conquer. 29th season. Stratford: Over 60 productions including The Winter's Tale, Phèdre, All's Well That Ends Well, A Delicate Balance, Elizabeth Rex, Long Day's Journey Into Night. Elsewhere: Ms Guinand has designed lights for over 400 shows across Canada and the United States at many theatres, including the Shaw Festival, National Arts Centre, Grand Theatre, Canadian Stage, Globe Theatre, Soulpepper, Kennedy Center, Arena Stage and Neptune. Recent productions include The Charity That Began at Home, When We Are Married, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur (Shaw); Intimate Apparel (Grand); The Drowning Girls, Much Ado About Nothing (Globe); Mary Poppins (Theatre Aquarius); The Norman Conquests (Soulpepper). Training: A graduate of Queen's University and the National Theatre School. Awards: One Dora Award. Multiple Dora and Sterling nominations.

2015: Composer and sound designer of She Stoops to Conquer and sound designer of The Physicists. 18th season. Stratford: Mother Courage, King John, Mary Stuart, Taking Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Measure for Measure, The Grapes of Wrath, Ghosts, Twelfth Night, the Swanne trilogy and many others. Elsewhere: 25 years' worth of shows across Canada. Eight seasons with the Blyth Festival including Kitchen Radio, Stag and Doe, Vimy and many world premières of new Canadian plays. 10 seasons with Theatre Sheridan including Parade, Gypsy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hello, Dolly!, Sweeney Todd, Chess and Chicago. The Valley, No Great Mischief, Democracy, Scorched and many others for Tarragon Theatre. Awards: Four Dora nominations, Outstanding Sound Design. Training: Honours English and Drama, UWO. Banff School of Fine Arts. Et cetera: Member of ADC, AF of M. Lives happily in Stratford with his wife, Melissa, his three boys, Harper, Jack and Devlin, and his big dog, Ripley.

2015: Head of Stage Combat. Fight director of Hamlet, The Physicists, The Diary of Anne Frank, Carousel, The Adventures of Pericles, She Stoops to Conquer and The Taming of the Shrew. 22nd season. Stratford: Fight director of over 150 productions. Elsewhere: Worked as a fight director across North America on over 500 professional productions, including 15 seasons with the Shaw Festival. Film/TV: Stunt coordinator and action director on over 375 films and television episodes. Teaching: Taught at numerous universities and colleges, including the National Theatre School of Canada. Awards: Award of Excellence (Canadian International Film Festival); Genre Award for Best Suspense (BNFF); Derek F. Mitchell Artistic Director's Award, Tyrone Guthrie Award (Stratford Festival); Judges' Choice Award (15 Minutes of Fame International Film Festival); Best Short First Runner-Up (Ticket to Hollywood International Film and Screenplay Festival); and nominated for a Best Short Award (Directors' Guild of Canada). Online: www.johnstead.com. John Stead on IMDB: www.imdb.com/name/nm0824093/. Et cetera: Master instructor with the Academy of Dramatic Combat.

2015: Head of Movement. Movement for Hamlet, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Taming of the Shrew and Oedipus Rex. Seventh season. Stratford: Coach, 2003 to 2013; movement director of King John, Mother Courage, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, The Three Musketeers, Peter Pan, The Winter's Tale, Dangerous Liaisons, King Lear, Agamemnon, Electra, The Flies. Elsewhere: Watford Palace Theatre: co-director: Love Me Do, Sleeping Beauty (2014); movement director: Jefferson's Garden (2015), Perfect Match, Override, Our Father, My Mother Said, The Dresser, An English Tragedy, As You Like It, Lysistrata. Chichester Festival: Twelfth Night, Nicholas Nickleby (Toronto/Gielgud Theatre). Io Theatre: The Snow Spider. Director: Swine (National Theatre Studio). Actor: National Theatre, Sheffield Crucible, Nottingham Playhouse, Tricycle Theatre, Paines Plough, Joint Stock, Shared Experience. Training: RAD ballet; Bristol University, drama/English; Ecole Jacques Lecoq; Trish Arnold. Awards: Time Out Award; Fringe First. Et cetera: Teaches movement, mask and chorus at RADA and Drama Centre London.

2015: Assistant director of She Stoops to Conquer. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Directing: Twelfth Night (The Shakespeare Company); The Apology, How Do I Love Thee, True Love Lies and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (Alberta Theatre Projects); Twelve Angry Men and In the Heat of the Night (Vertigo Theatre); Oleanna (Ground Zero Theatre); Lion in the Streets and Bent (Sage Theatre); CRAVE (Blacklist Theatre); Otherwise Bob (Globe Theatre). Training: BFA, University of Alberta; MFA, University of Calgary. Awards: Betty Mitchell Awards: Outstanding Production (Twelfth Night, Lion in the Streets); Outstanding Director (Lion in the Streets); Actress in a Supporting Role (August, An Afternoon in the Country). FFWD People's Choice Award (The Apology). Sterling Haynes Award: Actress in a Supporting Role (Mail Order Bride). Et cetera: Artistic Director of the Calgary International Children's Festival (2004 to 2011).

2015: Assistant set designer of Carousel and She Stoops to Conquer. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Set and costume designer: Cowboy vs Samurai (Chromatic Theatre); SNAKEOIL (Sage Theatre's Ignite Festival); Jebat, Measure for Measure (University of Calgary); La visite de la vieille dame (Théâtre Volt!ge). Assistant costume designer: Butcher (Alberta Theatre Projects); assistant set and costume designer: The Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst (Alberta Theatre Projects); assistant set designer: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Theatre Junction), Anomalies Synthétiques (Péristyle Nomade). Training: MFA in design from the University of Calgary, dance costume design workstudy at the Banff Centre, scenography internship with the Théâtre des Zygomars in Belgium, BFA in scenography from the Université du Québec à Montréal. Online: www.jenniferleearsenault.weebly.com, @JennLeeArseno.

2015: Assistant costume designer of She Stoops to Conquer. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Platypus Theatre (costumer, 2014), Drayton Entertainment (dresser and stitcher, 2011 to 2014), Queen's Musical Theatre (costume designer and head of wardrobe, 2008 to 2010), Chaos Theory Theatre (costume designer, 2008). Training: BAH from Queen's University, Fashion Design and Technical Costume Studies Post-Graduate from Fanshawe College.

2015: Assistant lighting designer of Carousel and She Stoops to Conquer. Fourth season. Stratford: Alice Through the Looking-Glass, Man of La Mancha (2014); Blithe Spirit (2013); 42nd Street, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Wanderlust (2012). Elsewhere: Selected lighting design: The Rocky Horror Show (Sudbury Theatre Centre); Another Home Invasion (STC); Impulse Festival (Soulpepper); Post Eden (Suburban Beast - SummerWorks Contra Guys Award, 2010); Obeah Opera (b current); Oh, the Humanity… (Outside the March); Serious Money (Nightwood Theatre / Ryerson Theatre School). Associate LD: HER2 (Nightwood Theatre); HOMEbody (Shannon Litzenberger). Assistant LD: Opera2Go 2010 (Tapestry New Opera Works); The Overwhelming (Studio 180); Communion (Tarragon); This is What Happens Next (Necessary Angel). Training: BFA, Ryerson Theatre School. Awards: T.H.E.A.T.R.E. Award (RTS, 2009); Paul Eck Award (RTS, 2008); Audit Stub Award (RTS, 2008). C.J. was nominated for the 2011 Pauline McGibbon Award for Design. Et cetera: "Salamat Nanay. Mahal kita."

2015: Associate fight director of Hamlet, The Physicists, The Diary of Anne Frank, Carousel, The Adventures of Pericles, She Stoops to Conquer and The Taming of the Shrew. Fifth season. Stratford: Associate fight director (selected): King Lear, Crazy for You, King John, Man of La Mancha, Alice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Beaux' Stratagem, Romeo and Juliet, The Three Musketeers, Othello, The Thrill. Assistant fight director: Fiddler on the Roof, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Count of Monte Cristo. Elsewhere: Fight director: Don Giovanni (Royal Conservatory); Gas (Next Stage); Don Giovanni, War and Peace (COC); The Godot Cycle (Yes Let's Go); Mirandolina (Soulpepper); Romeo and Juliet (ShakespeareWorks). Film/TV: Stunt performer: 12 Monkeys, Bitten, The Strain, Covert Affairs, Pompeii, Robocop, Reign, Orphan Black, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Assassins Creed: Unity, Carrie, Total Recall, Being Human, XIII the series, Lost Girl. Training: BFA, Ryerson University. Awards: Paddy Crean: excellence in stage combat. Online: @GeoffScovell. Et cetera: "Thank you to Kasia and John for all your continued support and guidance."

2015: Stage manager of She Stoops to Conquer and assistant stage manager of Oedipus Rex. 34th season. Stratford: Ann has worked in all four of the Festival's theatres on over 70 productions, including 29 of Shakespeare's plays, with Artistic Directors Michael Langham, Robin Phillips, John Neville, David William, Richard Monette and Antoni Cimolino. For the past eight years she has worked as coordinator of the Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre under director Martha Henry. Recent Conservatory projects were The Two Gentlemen of Verona, directed by Marti Maraden, and The Winter's Tale, directed by David Latham. Last season an exhibition of her backstage photos, Mine Eye the Witness, was on display at the Festival's Archives. "In memory of my darling daughter, Ellen Ross Stuart (1987-2015), always with me in spirit."

2015: Assistant stage manager of She Stoops to Conquer and The Last Wife. Sixth season. Stratford: Mother Courage, Antony and Cleopatra, Cymbeline, Elektra, The Winter's Tale, Three Sisters and Bartholomew Fair, production assistant for the Tom Patterson Theatre's 2008 season. Elsewhere: Blue Remembered Hills U.K. tour (Northern Stage); Anne of Green Gables: The Musical, The Full Monty (Charlottetown Festival); Head à Tête (Theatre Direct); The Sound of Music (Mirvish); Cinderella (Ross Petty Productions); Homebody/Kabul (Berkeley Street Theatre); Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth (Classical Theatre Project). Film/TV: Writers' assistant for Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town (CBC), story coordinator for Less Than Kind (HBO Canada), Picnicface (Comedy Network), Zerby Derby (TVO). Training: Technical theatre program at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Et cetera: Katherine is delighted to return to the Stratford Festival for the 2015 season.

2015: Assistant stage manager of The Diary of Anne Frank and She Stoops to Conquer. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: The Heart of Robin Hood (Mirvish Productions/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); South Pacific, Twist and Shout (Drayton Entertainment); The Full Monty, Little Shop of Horrors (Stage West Mississauga). Training: Technical Theatre Production, Sheridan College. Et cetera: Kimberly would like to thank her family for all of their love and support, and Alex for always being her rock and knowing that anything was within her reach.

2015: Stage manager of The Diary of Anne Frank and assistant stage manager of She Stoops to Conquer. 21st season. Stratford: Brian has stage-managed 23 productions at the Festival, most recently last season's Alice Through the Looking-Glass. Elsewhere: Brian's favourite credits include Jesus Christ Superstar (Stratford/La Jolla/N.Y.C.), War Horse (Mirvish Productions), the Miller-Plummer Lear (Stratford/N.Y.C.), The Seagull (Segal Centre, Montreal), Hamlet's Room (Theatre Plus Toronto) and The Father (Tarragon Theatre).

2015: Production stage manager of the Avon Theatre and stage manager of The Alchemist. 18th season. Stratford: Nine seasons as production stage manager (Tom Patterson, Avon and Studio theatres). Stage manager: The Beaux' Stratagem, A Word or Two, The Thrill, The Homecoming, Jacques Brel, Shakespeare's Universe, Othello, The Measure of Love/Ruth Draper on Tour. Assistant stage management highlights: Noises Off, The Merchant of Venice, King Lear, Inherit the Wind, Fiddler on the Roof. Elsewhere: In 2014, Julie travelled to Los Angeles with Christopher Plummer's A Word or Two. Production stage manager: The Odd Couple, As You Like It (Soulpepper). Assistant stage manager: Don Giovanni, Roméo et Juliette, Eugene Onegin, Lakmé, Tosca (Opera Ontario); La Bohème, Die Walküre (Canadian Opera Company). Founding member of The Grey-Bruce Arts Collective. Training: Graduate of Ryerson Theatre School. Et cetera: "Love to Mom, Dad, Roger, Eldon and Annie-Irene. xoxo"

2015: Production stage manager of the Avon theatre. Stage manager of Carousel. 17th season. Stratford: Max first worked at Stratford in 1990. In the intervening years, he has had the pleasure of working in all of the Festival's venues and on over 40 productions. Last season, he was stage manager of Man of La Mancha. Other productions include Des McAnuff's Henry V, The Three Musketeers, Taking Shakespeare, Hosanna, Peter Pan, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Avon Theatre, 2009; Canon Theatre, 2010-11), Cabaret, South Pacific and My One and Only (director Michael Lichtefeld), The Winter's Tale (director Brian Bedford), Death of a Salesman (starring Al Waxman and Martha Henry), Timon of Athens (director Michael Langham), Gypsy (director Brian Macdonald). Elsewhere: Max's career in theatre and opera spans over 25 years, including work with Citadel Theatre, Edmonton Opera, Opera Ontario, Opera Atelier, the Canadian Opera Company, Canadian Stage, Theatre Calgary, Manitoba Theatre Centre, the National Arts Centre, Young People's Theatre and Mirvish Productions on The Who's Tommy (director Des McAnuff). Training: Max holds a BA in dramatic arts, University of Lethbridge. He also studied theatre production at MacEwan University in Edmonton. Awards: Tyrone Guthrie Award recipient, 2012. Et cetera: Theatre venues coordinator for the Toronto International Film Festival, 2002 to 2004. He is a freelance web developer for such organizations as The Southern Ontario Orchid Society (www.soos.ca) and Ravenvision Photographic (www.ravenvision.ca).

REVIEWS & BUZZ

Terrifically funny

The Globe and Mail

One of Stratford Festival's funniest productions

Postmedia

Flawlessly directed

Postmedia

Beautifully constructed

Toronto Star

Comedy continues to delight

The Record

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