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Stratford Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Des McAnuff

August 18, 2008

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival has announced a varied lineup for its 2009 season. Artistic Director Des McAnuff has selected four plays from the Elizabethan-Jacobean period, four other classics, and three contemporary Canadian plays, along with two musicals based on classical works.

“The 2009 season reflects our vision of the Stratford dramatic landscape as a series of concentric circles,” said McAnuff. “Centre stage is Shakespeare, surrounded by his contemporaries. The next circle includes the great works of classical drama from other periods, many of which either influenced Shakespeare or were influenced by him. Then we have that great innovation of the 20^th century, musical theatre, enduring classics in their own right. The final circle of repertoire comprises contemporary works and living playwrights.”

From the Elizabethan-Jacobean period, the Festival will be presenting the following plays for 2009, fulfilling its commitment to produce four or five plays from the Shakespearean period every season:

• Macbeth by William Shakespeare, at the Festival Theatre, Directed by Des McAnuff

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, at the Festival Theatre, Directed by David Grindley

• Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare at the Avon Theatre, Directed by James MacDonald

• Bartholomew Fair by Ben Jonson, at the Tom Patterson Theatre, Directed by Antoni Cimolino

Reflecting on the choice of Bartholomew Fair, McAnuff said, “Shakespeare does not stand alone.” “He is certainly our greatest playwright but to truly know his work, it is vital to explore the plays of his contemporaries, which is why we present Ben Jonson’s rollicking city comedy Bartholomew Fair. In the coming seasons we hope to continue expanding our Elizabethan-Jacobean repertoire and produce works by Marlowe, Kidd, Middleton and the other great playwrights from Shakespeare’s scene.”

Other classics in the 2009 season are:

• Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, translated and adapted by Anthony Burgess, at the Festival Theatre, Directed by Donna Feore

• The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, at the Tom Patterson Theatre, Directed by Martha Henry

• The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, at the Avon Theatre, Directed by Brian Bedford

And a companion piece

Ever Yours, Oscar, a one-man performance compiled by Peter Wylde from the letters of Oscar Wilde, at the Tom Patterson Theatre, Directed by and featuring Brian Bedford

• Phèdre by Jean Racine, in a new translation by Timberlake Wertenbaker (World première), at the Tom Patterson Theatre, Directed by Carey Perloff

The festival will also be presenting an all-Canadian season at the Studio Theatre, including a new play by Morris Panych:

• The Trespassers by Morris Panych (World première), Directed by Morris Panych

• Zastrozzi by George F. Walker, Directed by Jennifer Tarver

• Rice Boy by Sunil Kuruvilla

The musicals, previously announced, are inspired by works by Shakespeare and the Roman playwright Plautus.

• West Side Story based on a conception of Jerome Robbins, at the Festival Theatre.

Book by Arthur Laurents, Music by Leonard Bernstein. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Directed by Gary Griffin, Choreographed by Sergio Trujillo

• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, at the Avon Theatre

Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Directed by Des McAnuff, Choreographed by Wayne Cilento

The Festival also announced a series of commissions from three leading Canadian playwrights, John Mighton, Judith Thompson and George F. Walker. A fourth commission will be announced at a later date, along with titles and details of these projects. In addition, American playwright and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has been commissioned to adapt and translate a classic play. All of these commissions will be considered for production in upcoming seasons.

“I’m delighted that the 2009 season will bring together many of the Festival’s favourite artists as well as some of the finest new talent,” says Antoni Cimolino, the Festival’s general director. “We have created a playbill that builds on the excellent work accomplished in the 2008 season and positions the Festival well for the future.”

The 2009 season will begin in mid-April and run through October at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada.