AS YOU LIKE IT

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

DIRECTED BY CHRIS ABRAHAM

VENUE: FESTIVAL THEATRE

Rediscover Shakespeare's tale of transformation and resilience, in a production directed by Chris Abraham, whose Much Ado About Nothing was a critical and box office hit last season.

In a world rocked by political upheaval, a Duke's daughter, Rosalind, faces exile from the city to the countryside. She flees with her cousin Celia, and the pair discover new identities and the prospect of new love, even as they confront their deepest fears.

Production Underwriters: John & Therese Gardner
Production Co-Sponsors: Martie & Bob Sachs

ANNIE

BOOK BY THOMAS MEEHAN

MUSIC BY CHARLES STROUSE

LYRICS BY MARTIN CHARNIN

ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION DIRECTED BY MARTIN CHARNIN

BASED ON "LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE"® BY PERMISSION OF TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC

DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY DONNA FEORE

MUSIC DIRECTED BY LAURA BURTON

VENUE: FESTIVAL THEATRE

Donna Feore is back with a musical for the whole family! Annie, winner of seven Tony Awards, is one of the most popular musicals ever written. It's filled with memorable and oh-so-hummable songs, including "Tomorrow", "It's the Hard Knock Life" and "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile."

It tells the story of a loveable orphan, Annie, who is stuck in an orphanage run by the dreadful Miss Hannigan. The child dreams of being reunited with her parents, but instead finds happiness with the wealthy Daddy Warbucks, who becomes not only her protector but also her hero, finding wealthy homes for all her friends at the orphanage.

Production Co-Sponsors: Robert & Mary Ann Gorlin and Peter & Carol Walters

SENSE and Sensibility

BY KATIE HAMILL

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY JANE AUSTEN

DIRECTED BY DARYL CLORAN

VENUE: FESTIVAL THEATRE

This production of Jane Austen's beloved classic will use an adaptation by Kate Hamill, one of the most exciting and oft-produced playwrights working today. Audiences will enjoy the vibrancy of her script, which clearly reflects her genuine love of Austen and of classical theatre. Her adaptation is filled with playfulness, humour and emotional depth, as well as substantial roles for women—and men—which makes Sense and Sensibility an ideal showcase for our exceptional actors.

The play follows the Dashwood sisters, who have been left destitute after the sudden death of their father. The girls find romance—and suffer heartbreak—as they try to regain social stability for their family in gossipy 18^th century England.

DANGEROUS LIAISONS

BY CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON

FROM THE NOVEL LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES BY CHODERLOS DE LACLOS

DIRECTED BY ESTHER JUN

VENUE: FESTIVAL THEATRE

In pre-Revolutionary France, the Marquise de Merteuil and her sometime lover the Vicomte de Valmont amuse themselves by plotting the seduction of two women of virtue: the virginal Cecile Volanges and the respectably married Mme de Tourvel. But as their cynical game proceeds, the players' motives grow deeper—and more deadly.

The play was written by Christopher Hampton in 1985, adapted from the 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. Hampton also wrote the screenplay for the hugely successful 1988 film starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich. This will be the second production of this play at the Stratford Festival. It was first produced to great acclaim in 2010.

Production Co-Sponsors: Cathy & Paul Cotton

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

BOOK BY JEFFREY LANE

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY DAVID YAZBEK

BASED ON THE FILM DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS WRITTEN BY DALE LAUNER AND STANLEY SHAPIRO& PAUL HENNING

ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION DIRECTED BY JACK O'BRIEN

DIRECTED BY BOBBY GARCIA

CHOREOGRAPHED BY STEPHANIE GRAHAM

MUSIC DIRECTED BY FRANKLIN BRASZ

VENUE: AVON THEATRE

Like this season's La Cage aux Folles, this razzle-dazzle show, in the vein of The Producers, is set on the French Riviera. It features a conman who woos wealthy women and pockets their money to fund a glamorous lifestyle. When a competitor comes to town, they team up to raise the stakes but soon find themselves in unhealthy, though hilarious, competition. A final con—to prove who is the better hustler—sees both men get their just reward.

Made famous in the film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels delivers laughs galore and is certain to entertain audiences at the Avon Theatre.

Production Co-Sponsors: Sylvia D. Chrominska and The Whiteside Foundation

MACBETH

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH EX MACHINA

DIRECTED BY ROBERT LEPAGE

VENUE: AVON THEATRE

Visionary director Robert Lepage takes on Shakespeare's tragedy of unchecked corruption and heinous self-interest.

Set in the milieu of Quebec's biker gangs, the production will reflect on violence and the allegiances that drive it, revealing the horrors that grow unhindered once the seeds of evil are planted in the soul.

Obsessed by omens and urged on by his wife's ambition, a heroic figure takes his destiny into his own hands. He murders his way to the top, only to find himself plunged ever deeper into tyranny as he battles vainly against enemies, real and imagined, from both sides of the grave.

Production Underwriter: Laurie J. Scott

Production Co-Sponsor: Carol Stephenson,CM

A STRATFORD FESTIVAL COMMISSION

Schulich Children's Plays

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

A NEW ADAPTATION BY KAT SANDLER

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY

DIRECTED BY KAT SANDLER

VENUE: AVON THEATRE

Is there a Canadian title with more global recognition than Anne of Green Gables? More than 56 million copies have been sold, and it has been translated into 30 languages.

Anne of Green Gables by Kat Sandler is a bold adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery's timeless tale of imagination, resilience and the transformative power of love. Set in the picturesque village of Avonlea, it follows the adventures of Anne Shirley, an irrepressible orphan with a vivid imagination and an unyielding spirit.

Production Sponsor: The Schulich Foundation

the winter's tale

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

DIRECTED BY ANTONI CIMOLINO

VENUE: TOM PATTERSON THEATRE

Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino will at last have the opportunity to direct one of his most beloved Shakespeare plays, The Winter's Tale, a story about the intense power of human emotions and their ability both to bring people together and tear them apart.

King Leontes, obsessed by suspicions of infidelity, puts his pregnant wife, Hermione, on trial for her life. He comes to his senses only when his actions have cost him both wife and children. But true love can work miracles and even the bitterest winter contains the seeds of spring.

The Winter's Tale is one of Shakespeare's final romances, a bittersweet drama of wrath and regret—culminating in one of the most poignant reunions ever written. Full of wonderful surprises and coincidences, this colourful and wildly entertaining story speaks to our deepest fears and greatest hopes.

Production Co-Sponsors: Dr. Dennis & Dorothea Hacker, Dr. Desta Leavine in memory of Pauline Leavine, Dr. M.L. Myers and Peggy Ptasznik in memory of Vic Ptasznik.

FORGIVENESS

BY HIRO KANAGAWA

ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK "FORGIVENESS: A GIFT FROM MY GRANDPARENTS" BY MARK SAKAMOTO

DIRECTED BY STAFFORD ARIMA

VENUE: TOM PATTERSON THEATRE

Adapted from the acclaimed 2018 Canada Reads-winning memoir by Mark Sakamoto, this moving and heartfelt play by Hiro Kanagawa tells the story of Sakamoto's grandparents and their harrowing experiences during the Second World War. In the face of tremendous adversity and horrific transgressions, they chose not to live a life of anger but rather to embrace and teach forgiveness.

Production Co-Sponsors: The Schubert Family

A STRATFORD FESTIVAL COMMISSION

RANSACKING TROY

BY ERIN SHIELDS

DIRECTED BY JACKIE MAXWELL

CHOREOGRAPHED BY ESIE MENSAH

VENUE: TOM PATTERSON THEATRE

Written by Erin Shields, the dynamo behind 2018's Paradise Lost, Ransacking Troy is a compelling adaptation of the Trojan War narrative through the lens of its female players. Funny, intriguing and always thought-provoking, this retelling of The Iliad and The Odessey whisks audiences away on a bold adventure.

After nine and a half years of war, Penelope is tired of waiting for Odysseus to return home, so she gathers a band of Greek women to set sail for Troy. An epic journey ensues as the women struggle to bring about a peaceful end to the war and imagine the future they want to create when it's through.

Production Co-Sponsors: Marilyn Gropp, Jane Laird, Dr. Robert & Roberta Sokol and an anonymous donor.

The Art of War

BY YVETTE NOLAN

DIRECTED BY KEITH BARKER

VENUE: STUDIO THEATRE

The Art of War by Yvette Nolan is a dramatic examination of the role of artists in war and in peace.

During the Second World War, Nick is sent to the front lines as an imbedded painter. What he witnesses, what he paints, will transform not only him, but Canada's idea of itself.

Production Underwriters: The Harkins Manning Family in memory of Jim & Susan Harkins

Production Co-Sponsors: Karon Bales & Charles Beall, Bryan Blenkin & Alan Rowe and Catherine Elliot Shaw

On-Sale Dates

Members can begin ordering online and by phone beginning on Sunday, November 10 at noon. Find a full list of Member priority booking dates below. 

On-sale dates and times for Groups, Schools and all patrons are also listed below.

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 All times are Eastern Time.