July 9, 2012… The Stratford Shakespeare Festival continues to mark its 60th season this week with the world premières of three Canadian plays and the opening of Artistic Director
Des McAnuff’s production of Henry V. The Festival has been
heralded recently throughout North America as a top destination for
travel and culture, giving it even more reason to celebrate.
Henry V, featuring Aaron Krohn in the title role, will open on Friday, July 13, the Festival’s anniversary. Wednesday sees the opening of
Wanderlust, a new musical commissioned by the Festival from Morris Panych and
Marek Norman, based on the poetry of Robert Service. Daniel MacIvor’s new play
The Best Brothers, workshopped at the Festival and directed by Associate Artistic Director
Dean Gabourie, opens Thursday afternoon, followed that evening by Hirsch,
which celebrates the life and career of former Artistic Director John
Hirsch. Developed at Stratford over the past three years,
Hirsch was created and conceived by Alon Nashman and Paul Thompson.
“One of my proudest achievements at the Festival is to have mounted a celebratory 60th
season that features Canadian works in such abundance,” says Mr.
McAnuff, who concludes his tenure as Artistic Director at the end of
2012
and was recently appointed to the Order of Canada. “Fully 50 per cent
of the productions on our playbill this year are written by Canadians.
They represent an enormous range of dramatic genres, showcasing the
talent that has developed in Canada’s rich theatrical
landscape since the founding of the Festival 60 years ago.”
“This second round of openings heralds the beginning of the summer season in Stratford,” says General Director
Antoni Cimolino, who has been named the Festival’s next Artistic
Director. “We have recently been showcased as a top destination by a
number of influential media outlets, establishing even further the
appeal of this idyllic city. We hope people recognize
what an ideal vacation spot Stratford is and include a visit to the
Festival in their holiday plans. This year’s productions have won
critical acclaim across the board and have been delighting audiences
since the season began in April.”
Inspired by the success of Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway,
The New York Times visited Stratford this spring and trumpeted
the joys of the city and the Festival in its travel section in June. NPR
(National Public Radio) in the U.S. has chosen to include Stratford in a
feature of five significant cultural destinations
in North America, the only one in Canada. Frommer’s included Stratford
as a Top 10 Canadian Summer Vacation Destination;
Reader’s Digest featured Stratford in its Top 10 Canadian Road
Trips; and Trip Advisor named Stratford one of Canada’s Top 10 Cultural
Destinations. Stratford has also been chosen as an iconic Canadian
experience for travel writer Robin Esrock’s upcoming
book The Great Canadian Bucket List.
Next to open this season is A Word or Two, written, arranged and performed by
Christopher Plummer, which is being presented as a special 60th
season event. Directed by Mr. McAnuff, the production, which begins
previews on July 25 and opens August 2, is an autobiographical journey
through the literature that has stirred
the actor’s imagination since youth. Mr. Plummer, who this year won an
Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his performance in the film
Beginners, is one of the Festival’s most lauded alumni, first appearing at Stratford in 1956 in the title role of
Henry V. This will be the third collaboration between Mr. Plummer and Mr. McAnuff at the Festival; their first two projects,
Caesar and Cleopatra, in which Mr. Plummer played Julius Caesar, and The Tempest, in which he played Prospero, have also been captured on film for cinematic release.
The season’s final offering, Sophokles’ Elektra, translated by Canadian poet
Anne Carson, will open August 11, featuring Yanna McIntosh in the title role and
Seana McKenna as Clytemestra.
In addition to Henry V, the season features two other Shakespeares –
Cymbeline, directed by Mr. Cimolino, which is being praised as one of the finest ever productions of this challenging classic, and
Much Ado About Nothing. Three musicals are also on stage – 42nd Street,
The Pirates of Penzance, and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown – as well as Thornton Wilder’s comedy
The Matchmaker, which is being hailed as the feel-good show of the year.
The War of 1812, by Canadian playwright Michael Hollingsworth, opened on Canada Day, and
MacHomer, created and performed by Rick Miller, enjoyed a limited engagement at Stratford in May.
The Festival marked its 60th season by publishing
Stratford Behind the Scenes, a full-colour book that reveals the
complexities of season planning and captures the superb artistry carried
out by the Festival’s costumes, props, sets and wigs departments. An
ebook of
Stratford Behind the Scenes will be launched this summer.
An archival exhibition, Most Rare Visions: 60 Years
of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, is open to the public daily at
104 Downie Street, across from the Avon Theatre. It features costumes,
unique artefacts and props, plus rare footage
and new interviews with key players in the Festival’s history
Since its founding 60 years ago, the Stratford
Shakespeare Festival has welcomed more than 25 million visitors.
Originally conceived as an economic stimulus for the community, the
Festival now generates about $140 million in economic activity
annually. It employs 1,000 people and creates 3,000 full-year jobs.
The Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s 2012 season runs until October 28. To purchase tickets, visit
www.stratfordshakespearefestival.com or call 1.800.567.1600.
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Ann Swerdfager
Publicity Director
Publicity Director
Stratford Shakespeare Festival
55 Queen Street | PO Box 520 | Stratford ON | N5A 6V2
55 Queen Street | PO Box 520 | Stratford ON | N5A 6V2
Toll Free 1.800.561.1233
|
Local 519.271.4040 x2297
Box Office: Toll Free 1.800.567.1600
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Local 519.273.1600
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