2020 Shaw and Stratford Season Previews

Thoughts on the 2020 Seasons at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and the Shaw Festival

By David Grapes – Arts Journalist

February, 2020

Theatre patrons, who are passionate about quality theatre here in the U.S., should consider a trip North across the Canadian border into Ontario and spend some serious time exploring North America’s two largest theatre festivals – The Stratford Shakespeare Festival and The Shaw Festival. The American dollar remains strong against the Canadian dollar, so the entertainment value when compared to the costs of theatre tickets for Broadway ($200+ average) or in London is high. And if you search the web, there are some excellent airfare deals for the upcoming summer into Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson airport for about $500.00 to $800.00 from most major US airports. Rental cars are readily available at the Toronto airport. Try Hotwire.com for the best airport rental rates. Driving time from the airport to either of the two festivals is less than two hours on four lane highways. Remember – Passports are REQUIRED for any border crossing!

The Shaw Festival

Located in historic Niagara-on-the-Lake (30 miles North of Buffalo, 120 Miles South of Toronto) along the beautiful Lake Ontario shoreline, The Shaw Festival is the only theatre in the world that specializes exclusively in plays by George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. During the last three decades, under the artful and highly creative leadership of Christopher Newton and Jackie Maxwell, the Shaw not only earned a reputation for innovative programming and stunning visuals, but also became home to one of the finest acting ensembles in North America. While Tim Carroll, now in his fourth year as Artistic Director, has reduced the size and scope of that ensemble, he has also diversified the organization’s artistic staff, the core acting company and the Shaw’s annual programming.  

For 2020 the Shaw Festival’s ever expanding artistic mandate under Carroll will include three Broadway style musicals (Gypsy, Me & My Girl and Assassins), contemporary plays (The Playboy of the Western World, Desire Under the Elms, and Trouble in Mind), one of Shaw’s comic masterpieces  (The Devil’s Disciple), Brandon Thomas’ classic farce (Charley’s Aunt) and a number of world and Canadian premieres (Prince Caspian and Flush), an innovative collaboration with Toronto’s Why Not Theatre (Mahabharata), plus a remount of the company’s wildly successfull holiday production of A Christmas Carol at the Royal George Theatre and a remount of its 2017 musical comedy hit Me and My Girl on the Festival Stage in November/December. While I for one, would have hoped for at least one additional Shaw play in the season, 2020 certainly promises to be a great summer of professional theatre.

Another exciting development over the past decade has been the addition of an intimate fourth performance venue – The Studio Theatre (which seats just under 200 patrons). With the retirement of the Court House Theatre, more and more work is being programmed into this very audience friendly space. The change in venue was a boon to the senior citizens who always found it quite daunting to traverse the long steep stairs in the old Court House Theatre.

The new facility, which is now known as the Maxwell Studio Theatre, has hosted such diverse productions as Shakespeare’s Henry V, John Osborne’s The Entertainer starring Benedict Campbell, Caryl Churchill’s provocative contemporary play Serious Money, When the Rains Stop Falling, Topdog/Underdog, Helen’s Necklace, The Mountaintop, The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, Middletown and the 2013 megahit production of Tom Stoppard’s theatrical gem Arcadia, which later transferred to Toronto for an additional run in 2014, August Strindberg masterwork The Dance of Death, which featured the all-world cast of Jim Mezon and Fiona Reid directed by Martha Henry. This year the Maxwell Studio Theatre will again host three productions (The Playboy of the Western World, Desire Under the Elms, and Trouble in Mind).

2020 SHAW SEASON AT A GLANCE

Festival Theatre

Gypsy – April 8 to October 11

The Devil’s Disciple – May 14 to October 9

Sherlock Holmes and the Raven’s Curse – June 21 to October 18

Mahabharata ­– August 15 to September 19

Me and My Girl – November 13 to December 23

Royal George Theatre

Charley’s Aunt – April 2 to October 17

Prince Caspian – April 23 to September 5

Flush – June 5 to October 10

Assassins – July 11 to October 10

A Christmas Carol – November 8 to December 23

Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre

The Playboy of the Western World – May 6 to September 6

Desire Under the Elms – June 4 to October 10

Trouble in Mind – July 17 to October 10

David’s recommendations for the 2020 season

Gypsy – (Featuring Kate Henning as Mama Rose)

The Devil’s Disciple – (Directed by Eda Holmes)

The Playboy of the Western World – (Starring Moya O’Connell and Fiona Byrne)

Desire Under the Elms – (Starring Tom McCamus and Julia Course)

Me and My Girl – (A remount of the spectacular 2017 production)

 

ALSO OF INTEREST AT OR NEAR THE SHAW FESTIVAL

Secret Theatre (For members of the new Secret Theatre Club)

Reading Series

Pre and Post-show Chats

Beyond the Stage Events

Friends Days

Shaw Conference

Teen Workshops

Summer Camps

Teacher Days

Niagara Falls

Old Fort Erie/ Old Fort Niagara

Wine country excursions

Lake activities

Theatre and Hotel Packages

PLAY INFORMATION

www.shawfest.com

TICKET PRICES

Range from $25.00 CDN (student matinees) to $135.00 CDN

Rush seats are available day of show

$30 rate for patrons under 30 years of age at any theatre

There are also excellent student discounts and group rates available

BOX OFFICE

1-800-511-7429 or 905-468-2172

ACCOMODATIONS

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE CHAMBER of COMMERCE RESERVATION SERVICE (CCA) 905-468-1950. In the Court House on Queen Street, Box 1043, Niagara-on-the-Lake L0S 1J0. www.niagaraonthelake.com Reservation service for 1700 plus rooms, representing every hotel and a collection of approved inns, cottages and bed-and-breakfast homes. For a quality experience, let our trained specialists help you select CCA (Chamber of Commerce Approved) accommodation. All price ranges represented.

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE BED and BREAKFAST ASSOCIATION (BBA) 905-468-0123 or 1-866-855-0123. Box 1228, Niagara-on-the-Lake L0S 1J0. www.bba.notl.on.ca Members are identified by BBA in the listings. Call or visit our website for a free availability search or to book online. We maintain high standards and adhere to a code of ethics. Book with a member.

ABOUT HISTORIC BED and BREAKFASTS IN OLD TOWN CENTRE www.historicbb.com These private homes, built before 1850, are within 4 short blocks of a theatre, dining and shops. Visit our website or contact the following homes in the Bed and Breakfast section: Adam Lockhart’s Storrington House, Annette Twining House, Apple Tree Bed and Breakfast, Barrett Cottage, B&B’s “Pacific”, Blaney House, Burns House, Davy House, Regent House, The Rogers-Harrison House, Royal Manor, Saltbox 1820 Cottage, Schoolmaster’s House. Open year-round. Central air. Full breakfasts. Private parking. Smoke-free. All rooms have private en-suite bathrooms. $125-$225.

ACCOMMODATION ALTERNATIVES NIAGARA www.accommodationalternativesniagara.com A fine selection of licensed cottages, apartments and homes in Niagara, suitable to those who prefer privacy and self-catering accommodations. Nightly from $150, weekly from $1,000.

Check this blog in August for reviews of many of the 2020 Shaw Festival productions.

The Stratford Festival

Located in the bucolic hills of Southern Ontario in the working-class town of Stratford, The Stratford Festival has grown from its humble beginnings in 1953 (two Shakespearean plays produced in a tent) to one of the largest and most respected theatre festivals in the world, now under the capable leadership of Antoni Cimolino.

Having completed a 100 million-dollar capital campaign to build a new Tom Patterson Theatre, long time patrons will now enjoy productions in a brand new state of the art theatre, which opens this July with a production of Richard III starring Colm Feore.

Also exciting has been the addition of a fourth stage known as the Studio Theatre located above the Avon Theatre. This small flexible space, which opened six years ago, is now home to new works by Canadian playwrights, workshops, productions, and Shakespeare.  However, the Studio Theatre only seats 260 patrons, so if you want to see a popular production in the Studio Theatre, you need to purchase your tickets well in advance..

Variety has always been a hallmark of the Stratford Festival, where works by Shakespeare, Marlowe, Moliere and Ibsen share the stage with Broadway musicals and the comedies of Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward and although Shakespeare did not dominate the large Festival Stage under previous Artistic Director Des McAnuff, now that Director Cimolino is entering his eighth season, the Bard has once again returned as the artistic heart of the festival.    

This year Shakespeare lovers will be treated to four productions including Much Ado About Nothing (Graham Abbey and Maev Beaty – under the direction of Chris Abraham), Hamlet, Richard III (Colm Feore, Ben Carlson, Seanna McKenna, Lucy Peacock and Tom Rooney – under the direction of Antoni Cimolino), and All’s Well That Ends Well (Seanna McKenna and Ben Carlson). The 68^th season will also feature the festival premier of the popular American musical Monty Python’s Spamalot (Jonathon Goad) on the Festival Stage, while Donna Feore will stage the world premiere of the new musical Here’s What it Takes at the new Tom Patterson Theatre as well as a razzle dazzle rendition of the Kander and Ebb musical Chicago on the Festival stage.

Other gems in the 68^th anniversary season include Edward Albee’s brilliant Three Tall Women (Martha Henry, Lucy Peacock and Mamie Zwettler), the world premiere of Morris Panych’s Frankenstein Revisited an adaptation of Moliere’s comedy The Miser, (Colm Feore – directed by Antoni Cimolino), not to mention a production of Wolf Hall (Geraint Wyn Davies and André Sills), and a family friendly production of Wendy and Peter Pan. Add to the mix two contemporary plays, The Rez Sisters and Hamlet-911, at the Studio Theatre, An Undiscovered Shakespeare at the Patterson, and you have 15 amazing reasons to visit North America’s largest theatre festival this summer.

The US dollar has been rising again this year, making the trip an outstanding value for 2020. With Broadway prices soaring to $200-$500+ a ticket, it is hard to imagine that you could get more “bang for your entertainment buck” anywhere in the world than in Ontario, Canada.

STRATFORD SEASON AT A GLANCE

Festival Theatre

Chicago – April 11 to November 1

Hamlet – April 23 to October 25

Much Ado About Nothing – May 7 to October 23

The Miser – August 2 to October 24

Avon Theatre

Wendy and Peter Pan – April 24 to November 1

Monty Python’s Spamalot – May 9 to October 25

Wolf Hall – July 28 to October 24

 

Tom Patterson Theatre

Richard III – May 6 to October 23

All’s Well That Ends Well – May 15 to October 24

Here’s What It Takes – June 5 to October 24

Frankenstein Revisited – August 2 to October 22

Tom Patterson Theatre – Lazaridis Hall

An Undiscovered Shakespeare – June 30 to September 18

Studio Theatre

Three Tall Women – May 27 to September 27

The Rez Sisters – July 21 to September 26

Hamlet-911 – August 5 to September 26

David’s recommendations for the 2020 season

Richard III and The Miser (Colm Feore)

Three Tall Woman (Martha Henry and Lucy Peacock)

Wolf Hall (Geraint Wyn Davies and André Sills)

Much Ado About Nothing

Chicago

ALSO OF INTEREST AT STRATFORD

The Festival Forum

Family Series Events

Stageside Chats

Festival Tours

Celebrated Writers Series

Night Music – Special concerts each Monday evening June to August in the Festival Theatre

A wide assortment of classes, workshops, special events.

PLAY INFORMATION

www.stratfordfestival.ca

TICKET PRICES

Range from $19.00 CAN to $200.00+ CAN

Rush seats are available day of show

There are also excellent student discounts and group rates available

BOX OFFICE

1-800-567-1600

Box Office E-Mail
orders@stratfordfestival.ca

ACCOMODATIONS

1-800-567-1600

I recommend the Swan Motel (Downie Street South)

Phone: 519-271-6376

Fax: 519-271-0682

www.swanmotel.ca

E-mail: info@swanmotel.ca

http://www.swanmotel.ca

Watch my blog in August for reviews of many of the 2020 Stratford Shakespeare Festival productions.
https://canadiantheatrefestivals.blogspot.com/


About the author
David Grapes has been a theatre producer/director/playwright/educator and freelance theatre journalist for over forty years. Now an Emeritus Professor of Theatre at the University of Northern Colorado, David holds a BA in Theatre from Glenville State College and an MFA in Acting/Directing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. You can also read his theatre reviews on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheatreNewsandReviews?ref=br_tf or follow him on Instagram @theatredavid or on Twitter @davidgrapes. Grapes also served as the Artistic Director of TN Rep from 1999 to 2004. Since 2000, his musicals, plays, and Shakespeare adaptations have received over 500 productions world-wide. David has been privileged to attend over 700 productions at the Shaw Festival and the Stratford Festival since he first attended the Ontario festivals in the year1978.