177 days, 126 actors, 14 plays, 4 theatres, one BIG collection of entertainment.
The Stratford Festival is an annual festival of theatre that runs from April to November in Stratford, Ontario. Started in 1952 by Tom Patterson, a resident of Stratford, the main intent of the festival was to encourage economic activity in his town.
The festival is dedicated to mostly performing plays by Shakespeare because the famous playwright was born in an English town, also named Stratford. This year, the Shakespearean repertoire features Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The festival also has a nice mix of contemporary pieces such as West Side Story and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, both starring leading actor Chilina Kennedy.
“They’re both really different characters so it’s great to flip between the two shows. Yesterday I had a double [bill], so I started off with[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the] Forum, and that was a nice light way to start the day- it’s a comedy- and then I switched over to the more serious side of West Side Story”, explains Kennedy.
West Side Story, the biggest hit of the festival this year has been selling out consistently for the run of the show. The story is written as a musical set in 1960 Manhattan. Kennedy and her co-star, Paul Nolan play star-crossed lovers in a modernized version of Romeo and Juliet.
Getting the role of Maria was not an easy task. Kennedy had originally auditioned only for the character of Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, but the director asked her to also audition for the part of Maria. Kennedy was called back five times to audition before winning the prestigious role.
After her parts were confirmed, Kennedy spent six weeks of six-day work weeks preparing for the show. She exclaims, “I love rehearsing! I love putting something together and discovering a character from the beginning until the time you put it on stage. And then you keep growing. A run is really interesting if you keep it open to grow within the show.”
Other plays that are running at the festival include The Importance of Being Earnest, Three Sisters, Cyrano de Bergerac and Bartholomew Fair, to name a few.
Students can purchase discounted tickets for $29. Regular price for seats usually range from $29-$111, depending on the play and the date of the performance. Visit www.stratfordfestival.ca for more deals and information.
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