Stratford Festival
55 Queen St N5A 6V2 Stratford, ON, Canada

Look out, Tiffany. Tomorrow, we meet Candace. Watch the second episode of Dan Chameroy's LEER ESTATES tomorrow during our Ghost Tours preshow on YouTube (6:30pm ET):... https://youtu.be/Re8n2FOHe8w If you missed the first one, catch up now on Stratfest@Home: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/AtHome

THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR Coming to CBC TV & CBC Gem this Sunday, November 1 [2pm ET]

Well, here’s a welcome taste of our old life: our two newest films are coming to CBC! Canada’s public broadcaster has been an incredible partner and supporter of our Stratford Festival on Film series since its inception, hosting each television première, and giving the full series a home on CBC Gem. And soon, Othello and The Merry Wives of Windsor are moving in! OTHELLO: October 25 - 2pm ET ... THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR: November 1 - 2pm ET Coming soon: https://gem.cbc.ca//a/8d5898e8-9215-4c97-8fe3-a10b30c89d58

It's officially spooky season at the Stratford Festival and this calls for only one thing: more ROCKY HORROR memories! We're missing this one a little extra this year.... -- Psst! Devon Michael Brown and Heather Kosik are teaching a version of Donna Feore's "Hot Patootie" choreography this Friday at 6pm ET. All are welcome! Her choreo has been adapted to suit any level of experience. Pay what you wish: ... https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/Learn/Virtual/AllAges See more

Artists and audiences love the Stratford Festival so much that sometimes they never, ever leave. This Thursday evening, we're hosting a special Hallowe'en binge of our brand new digital series: Stratford Festival GHOST TOURS! Host Roy Lewis will take you through the darkest depths of Festival sites, examining theatrical superstitions and some of the spooky stories passed on by those who work late at night. Free YouTube watch party | Thursday, October 29... https://youtu.be/Re8n2FOHe8w A STRATFEST@HOME Exclusive https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/AtHome #CanadaNice StratfordON The Stratford City Centre

Teachers, especially those in the arts and humanities, work on the front lines in supporting their students as they grapple with issues of isolation, injustice and inequity. We are keenly aware of how creative, thoughtful and caring teachers have been during this unprecedented time. Normally we’d be welcoming you to Stratford to provide professional development. Instead we're thrilled to connect with you virtually, starting next week. We hope, despite our distance, this prog...ramming will provide you with support, joy and inspiration. --------------------------------------------------- ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS 50-minute sessions focusing on the most pertinent issues of our time Inclusion and Classical Theatre October 13 // 7pm ET Exploring how learning the classics affords students the opportunity to delve more deeply into issues of inequity and exclusion. Featuring Qasim Khan, Allan Louis, Amaka Umeh and Gordon Patrick White Shakespeare and Mental Health October 20 // 7pm ET Looking at how Shakespeare’s characters and stories provide a rich opportunity to examine mental health with young people. Featuring Dr. Pier Bryden, Sara Farb, Jonathan Goad and Antoine Yared Social Connection & the Arts in a Pandemic October 27 // 7pm ET Sharing ways in which alternative theatre-making and theatre-going help to create community during this pandemic. Featuring Sébastien Heins, Julie Miles and Rebecca Northan -------------------------------------------------- ACTIVE SESSIONS 75-minute workshops to support your own practice and well-being Voice and Text October 15 // 4pm ET Approach the performance of Shakespearean text through exercises focused on voice, text and breath. Taught by Martha Farrell and Tim Welham Dance and Movement October 22 // 4pm ET Expand your physical repertoire and learn key tenets of musical theatre dance and choreography. Taught by Carla Bennett Shakespeare’s Sonnets October 29 // 4pm ET Explore practical artistic strategies for deeper understanding and meaning-making. Taught by Devon Glover $10 per session Full details & registration here: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/Learn/Teachers/ResourcesPD

Teachers, we have so missed welcoming you to Stratford this year but what a joy it has been to connect with you virtually over the last couple of weeks! This is the final week of professional development, with one more roundtable tomorrow (7pm ET), and one final workshop on Thursday (4pm ET). Hope you'll join us! SOCIAL CONNECTION & THE ARTS IN A PANDEMIC... OCT 27 // 7pm ET // 50 mins. We'll share some of the ways in which alternative theatre-making and theatre-going practices help to create community during this global pandemic. Our panel features: Sébastien Heins (who you’ve seen on our stages in such productions as The Tempest, The School for Scandal and Breath of Kings), Julie Miles (the Festival’s associate producer for our new Stratfest@Home programming) and Rebecca Northan (who runs a company called Spontaneous Theatre and will be hosting an exciting new series, Undiscovered Sonnets, for Stratfest@Home in the new year). SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS OCT 29 // 4pm ET // 75 mins. Dive deeper into a couple of Shakespeare’s most renowned sonnets and explore practical artistic strategies for deeper understanding and meaning-making. This active session is taught by Devon Glover aka The Sonnet Man. Devon, a Brooklyn rap artist, performs all around the world, setting Shakespeare’s love sonnets to hip hop (check out his music video below). His style of teaching is unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Each session is $10. Register here: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/Learn/Teachers/ResourcesPD

Heather Kosik and Devon Michael Brown are your incredible teachers for our next dance series: partner workshops! Grab your sibling, spouse, grandparent, roommate whoever you’ve got at home with you! and come dance with us to Seventy-Six Trombones (The Music Man), Guys and Dolls and Hot Patootie from The Rocky Horror Show! You’ll remember Heather & Devon from The Music Man and Guys and Dolls they even got engaged on our Festival stage! and you would have seen... them together again this season in Chicago. BUT now you can have them in your home! Grab your partner Friday evenings starting October 16. (pay-what-you-wish) Details here https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/Learn/Virtual/AllAges

What am I curious about today? What is bringing me joy? Jake Runeckles is the next guest on Beck Lloyd’s new web series And Introducing During their very honest and inspiring one-on-one, Jake offers some great advice for young art-makers as he discusses improving his mental wellness by following his curiosity and finding joy in his art. Every time I’m on stage how do I make sure that I’m finding joy in that? Because if there’s no joy, I can’t do it. Nothing is worth... sacrificing joy. Jake made his Stratford debut last season, playing Bastian in The Neverending Story and Earl of Surrey in Henry VIII, and you would have seen him this season as Peter in Wendy & Peter Pan and Mark Smeaton in Wolf Hall. Watch And Introducing... only on STRATFEST@HOME: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/AtHome

We did it! We got through another Monday. Our reward: Sara Farb's exquisite rendition of Stephen Sondheim's "The Miller's Son" from our 2016 production of A Little Night Music. -----------------------------------------------... "The Miller's Son" Featuring Sara Farb as Petra with Matt Alfano as Frid A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim | Book by Hugh Wheeler Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick | Suggested by a film by Ingmar Bergman | Originally produced and directed on Broadway by Harold Prince A 2016 Stratford Festival production Director: Gary Griffin | Music Director: Franklin Brasz | Designer: Debra Hanson | Lighting Designer: Kevin Fraser | Sound Designer: Peter McBoyle | Movement Consultant: Chris Bailey | Projection Consultant: Brad Peterson

We all know Shakespeare is the most famous playwright in history but even he had to start somewhere! Do you know any budding writers in grades 7-12? We still have a few spots available in our playwriting programs. No experience necessary. All are welcome! Beginning October 6:... Introductory program for grades 7-8 (LAST CALL! Registration open until 4pm Tuesday) Beginning October 15: Single-voice program for grades 9-12 Details & registration here https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/Learn/Virtual/Youth

Not many people can say they’ve had their own play brought to life by members of the Stratford Festival acting company but you could be one of them! Our virtual youth programs kick off this Tuesday, October 6, with Rob Kempson leading our introductory playwriting program for grades 7-8. After experimenting with different writing exercises, styles and genres, your original work will be showcased in a staged reading by our actors. Not a writer? We’ve got musical theatre an...d Shakespeare programs, too, for those in grades 7-12. Spots & bursaries are still available. Details & registration form here: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/Learn/Virtual/Youth