Enchanted April now in previews at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake

“San Salvatore has a way of making one forget all about time”

Media Release #20

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, June 26, 2013 . . . Enchanted April, Matthew Barber’s Tony Award-nominated play, is currently in previews at the Festival Theatre.

Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell directs the Shaw Festival’s production of this joyfully restorative tale set amongst the wine, wisteria and Mediterranean sunshine.

Longing to get away from the malaise of post-WWI London and the stasis of their respective marriages, housewives Lotty (Moya O’Connell) and Rose (Tara Rosling) are enticed by an ad in the paper that reads, “Small castle on the Mediterranean, Northern Italy. To be let for April. Cook, gardens, ocean view.” Impulsively they rent the Italian villa, recruit two very different English women to share the cost and plan their escape.

All four women dive into the experience of a lifetime, shed inhibitions and blossom anew—rediscovering themselves in ways they could never have imagined.

Set and costume design by William Schmuck, lighting design by Kevin Lamotte and original music by Zachary Florence brings the romance and beauty of sun-drenched San Salvatore to the Festival Theatre stage.

A Shaw Festival premiere, Daily Variety called Enchanted April “a comical, restorative journey of discovery…from darkness to light, from inhibition to unrestrained joy. Beautiful and theatrically rewarding.” Enchanted April is based on the novel by Elizabeth von Arnim.

About Enchanted April

June 25 – October 26; Opens: July 13

Enchanted April is on stage at the Festival Theatre (10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake).

Enchanted April is sponsored by CIBC.

Cast (in alphabetical order): Donna Belleville                     Sharry Flett                             Patrick Galligan                      Kevin McGarry                                    Marla McLean                        Jeff Meadows                         Moya O’Connell                     Tara Rosling	Mrs. Graves Costanza Frederick Arnott Antony Wilding Caroline Bramble Mellersh Wilton Lotty Wilton Rose Arnott
Creative Team: Jackie Maxwell William Schmuck Kevin Lamotte Zachary Florence Beatrice Campbell Ivory Seol	Director Designer Lighting Designer Composer Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager

The Shaw Festival’s 2013 season began April 3, runs until November 3 and features 10 productions presented on the Festival’s four Niagara-on-the-Lake stages. For more information on our 2013 season, performance schedule and ticket information, please visit www.shawfest.com or call 1-800-511-SHAW.

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The Shaw Festival is a theatre company inspired by the work of Bernard Shaw. We produce plays from and about his era and contemporary plays that share Shaw’s provocative exploration of society and celebration of humanity.

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