"The evil entity, the Nothing, is the absence of light, and by contrast, the storybook characters - many portrayed by puppets - will have LEDs incorporated so that the fantastical creatures glow with their own light.

"For example, the dragon, Falkor, is twelve feet long and eight feet wide, and his big nose, his eyes and his spine all light up from inside. The spider, Ygramul, has red LED eyes, and its legs light up from within light giant stained glass windows - and each leg is a separate component manipulated by puppeteers, so you're never quite sure what it will become until all of the pieces come together. The giant turtle, Morla the Aged One, is made up of ten green shields which come together to form her shell. I hope it will be a very playful effect - like children playing with everyday objects and making new interpretations and configurations out of things with their own imaginations."

The continual interplay between the literal light and darkness will be a driving force in the unfolding of the tale.

"It will indicate transition within the story," says Ms. Gerecke. "The lights of a character will glow brightly whenever their part of the story is of central importance. For example, the Childlike Empress is filled with light, but her lights will flicker and fade as a visual cue that her story is dying. Artax the horse is made up of sections alternating between solid and void: the internal lights of his solidity will go out from the bottom up as he vanishes into Nothingness. The transitions may be gradual or sudden, depending on the plotline - the use of light in the storytelling will always be surprising."

The Neverending Story team came together in December for a five-day workshop to discuss, experiment and collaborate on ideas for the show.

"This was absolutely invaluable to the process," says Ms. Gerecke. "It started off with about twenty of us sitting around a big table - Jillian and myself; the playwright, David S. Craig; lighting designer Leigh Ann Vardy and sound designer Don Ellis; and composer Hawksley Workman, along with the tech director, props, choreographers and puppetry directors - all of us sharing our ideas.

"We talked through the play bit by bit and tested out our proposals. Things got added or cut, or made bigger and better. Putting together a production like this calls for full-on collaboration between everyone - theatre is not an art form created by an individual. We are working in a group to tell the story in the best and most meaningful way we can. Every new production of a play is a chance to work with a new team with entirely different dynamics - we need to discover what we have in our collective pool of ideas, and figure out how to connect the ideas and put them out into the world in the most inspiring way.

"Antoni also shared his in-depth knowledge in a session about the times in which Shakespeare was writing, and about how vital it is for us to find context and connect the present to the past with every new production."

Along with lively discussions, both structured and less formal, participants were given a comprehensive tour of the iconic Festival Theatre building - exploring every region, including its labyrinthine corridors of costume and props workshops - and a hands-on class was led by the Head of Voice and Coaching, Janine Pearson, to help the directors be aware of the importance of their own voice and movement in their demanding job.

The director of Mother's Daughter, Alan Dilworth, led a Stillness workshop to teach the upcoming directors how to find a grounding place of calm from which to work. Stage Managers Ann Stuart and Cynthia Toushan shared their invaluable insights about a director's working relationships with stage management and production staff, and the complex task of scheduling rehearsal times over a long season with such a large repertory company.

New to the company this season, Julia Nish-Lapidus is the assistant director on Private Lives. She was especially thrilled with the Intensive's comprehensive two-day format, offering a unique opportunity to interact with and learn from various Festival experts in a concentrated period of time.

"It was exciting," says Ms Nish-Lapidus. "It truly is the chance of a lifetime to have access to all of these amazing people over a full weekend. Aside from all of the workshops, lessons and talks, we also had shared meals and informal time to get to know one another. The directors, coaches and the other Festival professionals were incredibly generous with their time. With such busy schedules and so much on their plates, I was so grateful that they were happy to sit and discuss ideas with us, and just get to know us as colleagues. It was an incredible training weekend full of people you'd be glad to be able to spend just a few moments with.

"A definite highlight was getting to work on the Festival Stage with Antoni Cimolino and Donna Feore," she adds. "Both of them arguably understand that space better than anyone else, when it comes to directing Shakespeare and musicals. Antoni showed us how perfectly designed that stage is for Shakespeare - for example, how it takes an actor the exact length of a line to cross the space. It was literally built to be the perfect place to perform Shakespeare. Donna brought in some performers from Billy Elliot the Musical, and we had the chance as a group to direct them on the Festival Stage with her guidance.

"And on the final day, Martha Henry hosted a round table with most of this season's directors, and performers like Lucy Peacock and Rod Beattie were also there to chat with us about the actors' relationship with assistant directors. The Intensive was the best possible welcome for a person new to the company. I went straight from the weekend right into my first day of rehearsal on Monday, and I felt relaxed and ready with a confidence and comfort level that I may not have had otherwise."

At the centre of this world of machismo and conflict stands Othello, a black man who has risen to become a great general and a hero. By falling in love, he and Desdemona have defied the norms of their society - and taken a great risk.

"In Desdemona, Othello has found an avatar of true peace," says Mr. Williams. "She has inspired him to look at and think about things differently. It really does feel that - if their love had been allowed to thrive and grow - they'd represent a new hope for humanity. Together, they have the capacity to be perfect.

"Othello is at his heart a good man - and we see ourselves in him as he reaches for true peace and goodness in his life. The real tragedy is that the darker forces at play manage to destroy them with lies. Iago is the representation of all of that dark vice working against them. As in the wider world today, he creates an environment where that darkness is given permission to rise to the surface and attack the marginalized and the women in its society. The truly horrific violence in the play is that committed upon the women. We get to the extremes of domestic violence and murder only because a good man has been poisoned by vice and an immoral character."

Theatre must shine light into dark corners in order that the audience can recognize the real and present dangers around them in the world today. Racism, misogyny and distrust of the "other" persist today, sometimes overtly, often in ways that are hidden; retelling Othello's tragedy reminds us to be vigilant and to have necessary conversations about where we are at in our society.

"One of the most exciting things about Othello is that it has an internal motor that just goes," says Mr. Williams. "It makes it rather unique in Shakespeare - the fact that it hasn't got lots of subplots hones the focus and doesn't distract from the core of the story. Above all, it is intimate - a lot of scenes are played with only two or three characters on stage. It is a play about relationships and domestic affairs being played out against a public backdrop.

"It feels real and immediate, and that is the kind of theatre I like to make; where we are confronted by the conflict between great beauty and extreme ugliness. It serves to remind ourselves that we can do a better job of talking to and listening to one another. We can - and we must - do better."

Othello runs at the Festival Theatre from May 3 to October 27.

Production Sponsor for Othello: BMO Financial Group

Production support for Othello is generously provided by The Westaway Charitable Foundation

The Neverending Story Workshop

June 23 - August 23

Take part in a series of drama exercises to explore the adventure and magic of The Neverending Story. These half-hour workshops are for all ages and require active participation. Led by Festival company members and Education staff.

Workshop dates:

• Sunday, June 23
• Saturday, July 13
• Sunday, July 21
• Friday, August 23

The Neverending Story Lunch

July 7 - August 18

Relax and enjoy a family meal to delight parents and kids alike! Grownups will appreciate the talents of our renowned Stratford Festival culinary team - who also provide a tasty child-friendly alternative that kids will love. Complete with face-painting, balloons and book-nooks, this is a great kick-off to the matinée adventures that await. Reserve at least 48 hours in advance.

Available dates:

• Sunday, July 7
• Saturday, July 27
• Sunday, August 18

Song and Dance: Little Shop of Horrors

July 19 - August 8

Learn and perform step-by-step choreography and music from Little Shop of Horrors. Culminates in a Q&A with the artists. These workshops are for all ages and require active participation. Led by Festival company members and Education staff.

Workshop dates:

• Friday, July 19
• Friday, July 26
• Thursday, August 8