Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Martha Henry directs an all-star cast in Shakespeare’s beloved comedy Twelfth Night. Previews begin this Saturday, May 13, and the production opens the Festival’s 65th season on Monday, May 29, at the Festival Theatre.
The cast, which Ms Henry calls “one of the greatest casts for this play ever assembled,” features Sarah Afful as Viola, Rod Beattie as Malvolio, Brent Carver as Feste, Lucy Peacock as Maria and Geraint Wyn Davies as Sir Toby Belch, with Tom Rooney as Sir Andrew Aguecheek, E.B. Smith as Orsino and Shannon Taylor as Olivia.
“Shakespeare’s gently piercing comedy Twelfth Night is such a great play, so singular in its characters, so deeply romantic, so bittersweet in its humour that it’s wildly popular,” says Ms Henry, “and a number of our gifted cast have been in it before – some multiple times, playing different roles. Yet each time we come back to it, as we are, as the adage points out, amazed to see how much the play has changed since we last took it on.”
“As teams go, this one is hard to beat,” says Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino. “Here we have one of Shakespeare’s most beautiful plays, helmed by the extraordinary Martha Henry, who played Viola early in her Stratford career, and brought to life by a company with remarkable skills and accomplishments. Together, they bring so much heart to this production, and the result is a pure delight.”
The creative team includes Designer John Pennoyer, Lighting Designer Louise Guinand, Composer and Sound Designer Reza Jacobs, Fight Director John Stead and Movement Director Valerie Moore.
This production is dedicated to the memory of former Artistic Director Robin Phillips.
Production support is generously provided by Jane Petersen Burfield & family, by Dr. Desta Leavine in memory of Pauline Leavine and by Jack Whiteside.
Support for the 2017 season of the Festival Theatre is generously provided by Daniel Bernstein & Claire Foerster.
The 2017 season opening night presenting sponsor is BMO Financial Group.
Twelfth Night Forum highlights
The Forum is a series of events, such as exclusive showcases, guest speakers, special meals, music and family fun, that offer theatregoers a unique opportunity to delve deeper into the ideas and issues raised by the 2017 playbill. Themes related to Twelfth Night will be explored through several Forum events, including:
Wednesday, July 19
Playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald and author, academic and activist Shereen El Feki speak to their experience as female writers in diverse social and cultural contexts, discussing how the female voice and perspective has shifted over time in literature and what that shift has meant, particularly to women in society.
• WordPlay
Geraint Wyn Davies hosts a broad-ranging series of dramatic readings inspired by the season’s themes and performed by members of the company.
• Sunday, June 18: Albert Speer by David Edgar
• Thursday, September 28: The Rover by Aphra Behn
• Friday, October 13: The Honest Whore by Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton
Support for WordPlay is generously provided by The Dorothy Strelsin Foundation.
The Stratford Festival’s 2017 season runs until October 29, featuring Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens, Guys and Dolls, HMS Pinafore, Treasure Island, The School for Scandal, The Changeling, Bakkhai, Tartuffe, The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Komagata Maru Incident, The Virgin Trial and The Breathing Hole. For tickets and more information, visit stratfordfestival.ca or call 1.800.567.1600.
Photo: Sarah Afful and Rod Beattie. ©2016 Lynda Churilla.
2017-05-12
Stratford: Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" begins previews May 13