One of the great things about retirement is that it affords us time and flexibility to attend cultural events. This means we go to many more productions than when we were working, and we now attend matinees almost exclusively… home by dark. 🙂 We have just had the great pleasure of wandering out to Stratford, Ontario to see yet another incredible Stratford Festival theatre production… our collective third of the season. Stratford is North America’s largest classical repertory theatre company.
If you do not consider yourself to be a theatregoer, retirement is a great time to try out something new like this. I’m having a look at Stratford here because it is a regular destination for us, but there are wonderful theatre and other cultural events across the country that you could attend. That said, you should probably try and put Stratford on your bucket list of places to get to… especially if you are already a lover of great theatre. The two couples sitting beside us on this visit were from Houston, Texas, and Chicago, so most Canadians have no excuse to not get themselves there.
In the Camera’s Eye” presents fast and furious snippets of things that have grabbed my attention… for whatever reason. I will be attempting to capture the essence of what I am sharing in no more than two paragraphs and in 10 or fewer photos with captions.
The Stratford Festival ’s performances take place in four different venues. This week we were in the main Festival Theatre which holds approximately 1800 theatregoers. I think in high school I simply found Shakespeare to be inaccessible and bewildering. Later in life, I have found myself enthralled by Shakespeare’s plays and his use of the English language. Shakespeare, personally, “I would not wish any companion in the world but you. – The Tempest”
We were there to see “Much Ado About Nothing”, a classic Shakespearean comedy. I learned something very new and intriguing about the play while reading the Director’s Notes in the program. In Shakespeare’s time the word “nothing” was slang for “vagina”. Adds a whole new dynamic to the understanding of the play.
The theatre is just beginning to fill up. As you can see… classic Shakespeare… an unchanging set on a simple stage, just as would have been necessary in the original Globe Theatre. A bad seat cannot be found in the building.
Stratford Festival Photo – The Stratford Festival also does an outstanding job of mounting musicals. In 2022 we had the pleasure of seeing Chicago. But I would have to say that my absolute favourite musical presented at Stratford was The Rocky Horror Show in 2018. 🙂
Last year, the new Tom Patterson Theatre finally opened to much fanfare. It is an incredibly beautiful facility that serves as a multi-purpose venue as well as housing a 700-seat theatre.
We got to see the first ever production presented in this new theatre, namely, “Richard III”, starring Colm Feore. Here, the cast is taking their final bows. The theatre retains the long rectangular stage that was a distinctive feature of the original Tom Patterson theatre, which was housed in a building that was originally a curling rink.
Stratford’s smallest facility is the Studio Theatre which houses 260 seats. The Studio Theatre, has been described as “an exploration space for artists” … “built to stage experimental works, new plays and rarely performed classics.”- Canadian Encyclopedia
Our second Stratford outing this summer was to see the comedy “Women of the Fur Trade” at the Studio Theatre. The play was written by an indigenous artist, Frances Koncan, and had an indigenous director, Yvette Nolan. As you can see, it is a very intimate setting.
Stock photo – Housing 1079 seats, the second largest Stratford venue is the Avon theater. The Avon sits back-to-back with the Studio Theatre.
Stratford Festival Photo – The Love-goddess got to enjoy “Monty Python’s Spamalot” at the Avon earlier this summer with friends.
*Bonus Photos
And of course, there are several official Stratford Festival gift shops around town. This one adjoins the main theatre.
Often, after a matinee we head to a local restaurant for a nice dinner and to discuss the play. This week we dined at “The Common”. The Love-goddess and her pal Joan appear to be in an upbeat mood. 🙂
