Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Satisfied: Immersing myself in repertory theater at the Stratford and Shaw festivals

• By drediman
• September 7, 2016
• No Comments

I recently had the great privilege of experiencing the considerable theatrical offerings at two of North America’s preeminent repertory theaters, both of which are located in Ontario, Canada (each destination is conveniently approximately a two-hour drive from Toronto) – the Stratford Festival in Stratford and the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. I’ve been going to Stratford for a number of seasons now, but this year marked my first trip out to the revered Shaw Festival. Experiencing both of these well-regarded festivals back-to-back, as I did this summer, has prompted me to contemplate more critically about the singularity of these major theatrical operations.

An interesting model

Festival Theatre (exterior) at the Stratford Festival

So how does repertory theater work? Essentially, it means that a single pool of actors is used to perform a variety of shows in quick succession. This means you can see the same actor playing potentially vastly different roles in very different types plays (from Shakespeare to a dance musical) over the course of just a few days. Although this presents fascinating prospects for both artists and audiences alike, it’s rare to find repertory theater beyond the Stratford and Shaw festivals. One of the primary reasons why the repertory approach to theater-making is scarcely seen these days, even in theater capitals such as New York and London, is its inherently complex logistics and the considerable economic outlay required to get such operations up and running. For example, in addition to having to assemble a massive team of actors, musicians, creative teams, and backstage crews (let alone having to secure adequate real estate to accommodate the productions) in single stroke before the season begins, the endeavor is also expensive. Stratford’s budget for its current 2016 season is allegedly roughly a massive $50 million. I’m sure Shaw’s budget is not too far behind (Shaw puts on slightly less productions). Most theater companies these days choose to present productions one-at-a-time, thereby minimizing costs.

Comparing and contrasting theater at Stratford and Shaw

Festival Theatre (interior) at the Stratford Festival

Broadly speaking, the Stratford Festival, which commenced in 1953, has historically been focused on the Shakespearean canon. Over the years, however, the festival has gradually loosened its focus to include other playwrights, in addition to musicals and children’s theater. Given this drift from Shakespeare, the festival has renamed itself a few years ago from the “Stratford Shakespeare Festival” to simply the “Stratford Festival”. This summer, less than half of the offerings were penned by the Bard – this is even the case if one includes the stage adaptation of Shakespeare in Love into the mix.  Similarly, the Shaw Festival, as its name suggests, began in 1962 mostly as a platform to present the works of George Bernard Shaw. It, too, has diversified its offerings over time. Indeed, this year’s season astonishingly features only one proper Shaw play (Mrs. Warren’s Profession), and two if you in include a stage adaptation of one of his short stories (The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God). In terms of quality, I’d give the slight advantage to Stratford, where you’ll see more international talent flexing their creative muscles, particularly directors (Broadway’s Gary Griffin directed A Little Night Music, Globe Theatre’s Tim Carroll directed The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Cheek by Jowl’s Declan Donnellan directed Shakespeare in Love, and American Conservatory Theater’s Carey Perloff directed John Gabriel Borkman). Stratford artistic director Antoni Cimolino, in the meantime, continues to prove that he’s one of the most insightful classical directors around with his sensational productions of Macbeth and The Hypochondriac. Shaw, on the other hand, focuses mainly on home-grown talent, although it was recently announced that Tim Carroll, a Brit, would be the festival’s next artistic director once Jackie Maxwell steps down after this season. I’m happy to report that at both festivals, the very fine, classically-trained actors excel in equal measure.

Depth and breadth to spare

Over the course of less than two weeks, I was able to cram in no less than 21 shows between North America’s two preeminent repertory theaters. And just take a look at the list of playwrights and other storytellers represented, a truly impressive number:

• Shakespeare – Macbeth, As You Like It, Breath of Kings: Rebellion, Breath of Kings: Redemption (Stratford)
• Moliere – The Hypochondriac (Stratford)
• Miller – All My Sons (Stratford)
• Ibsen – John Gabriel Borkman (Stratford)
• Hamlisch, Kleban, Kirkwood, Dante, Bennett – A Chorus Line (Stratford)
• Sondheim, Wheeler – A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd (Stratford, Shaw)
• Virgil, adapted by Kemeid – The Aeneid (Stratford)
• Stoppard and Norman, adapted for the stage by Hall – Shakespeare in Love (Stratford)
• Lewis, adapted for the stage by Mitchell – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Stratford)
• Shaw – Warren’s Profession, The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God (adapted for the stage by Condrington) (Shaw)
• Chekhov – Uncle Vanya (Shaw)
• Strindberg – The Dance of Death (Shaw)
• Wilde – A Woman of No Importance (Shaw)
• Gilbert – Engaged (Shaw)
• Wilder – Our Town (Shaw)
• Carroll, adapted for the stage by Hinton – Alice in Wonderland

Royal George Theatre (interior) at the Shaw Festival

Musicals continue to be a big draw, despite some lackluster efforts with regards to the family shows, which are for all intents and purposes new musicals. Although Sondheim (and Wheeler) was well represented at both festivals this year – the respective productions of A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd are excellent (the third “adult” musical, Stratford’s revival of A Chorus Line, is a solid mounting of a dance musical for a company not known for its choreographic prowess) – both Stratford’s adaptations of C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Shaw’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland were both big budget bores. The latter was particularly a distasteful experience for me, sadly removing any sense of wonder from Alice’s tale. It just goes to show three things: 1) spectacular sets and costumes do not in themselves guarantee a satisfying show; 2) the difficulty of creating truly engaging children’s theater for the entire family; and 3) the challenge of adapting works from other mediums for the stage. The one and only truly new work on the roster at both festivals is the one I missed, Hannah Moscovitch’s Bunny, which I’ve heard great things about.

Festival highlights

Geraint Wyn Davies as Captain Fluellen and Araya Mengesha as King Henry V in “Breath of Kings” at Stratford

There were a number of highlights at this year’s festivals. At Stratford, the three standouts for me were Breath of Kings, Shakespeare in Love, and Macbeth. Unsurprisingly, each of these plays are heavily influenced by the Bard. Breath of Kings is Graham Abbey’s triumphant two-part condensation of Shakespeare’s mighty history plays; these productions stand as one of the great collective renditions of these timeless plays I’ve seen (and I’ve seen many). Lee Hall’s stage adaptation of the Shakespeare in Love comes to the Stratford Festival straight from a successful run in London’s West End, and it’s a complete and utter delight. I can’t think of a better company of actors to bring the Oscar-winning film to life on stage, and they don’t disappoint (the Stratford run, co-produced by Disney, is touted to be a pre-Broadway tryout of sorts). This season’s Macbeth was ferocious and chillingly dark, thanks in large part to Stratford artistic director’s Antoni Cimolino’s brilliant work at the production’s helm. Over at Shaw, I caught a practically perfect mounting of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. It was quite a treat to see classical actors take on the larger-than-life roles of Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett, as well as a company with the resources – musicians, cast, design – of the Shaw to do this musical masterpiece justice. Also at Shaw, I attended a fascinatingly “meta” production of Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession that I thought was exquisitely acted.

Repertory theater – a richer experience

Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” at Stratford

Seeing so much theater in a festival or repertory setting invites dialogue not only between productions but also raises one’s appreciation of an actor’s resourcefulness, commitment, and versatility. For example, at Stratford, I saw the masterful production of Macbeth soon followed by a searing All My Sons by Arthur Miller. Very different plays, you may think. But look more closely, and you’ll see the same theme of the price of power running through the course of each play’s veins. Indeed, the characters of Joe and Kate Keller are what the Macbeths would have likely turned into if they hadn’t met grisly ends in Shakespeare’s play. In addition, it’s satisfying and even oddly exciting to see the same actors in both plays, fully embracing different genres of theater – and thrillingly succeeding. Seeing so much theater also makes us, as audience members, more forgiving of not-quite-so-successful productions. The aforementioned children’s theater aside, I found myself not quite so taken with the “immersive” aspects of Stratford’s otherwise finely acted As You Like It or the questionable decision to revive W.S. Gilbert’s – of Gilbert and Sullivan fame – un-consequential Engaged (despite some strong acting, as well).

Beyond the festivals

Niagara-on-the-Lake

The theatrical arts aren’t the only attraction at either Stratford or Shaw. Food plays a central role, particularly in Stratford. Stratford Chefs School produces great talent in the culinary arts that feeds into such revered restaurants as The Prune and Rundles. And in Niagara-on-the-Lake, I had the privilege of basking in a glorious meal at Backhouse, one of the great farm-to-table experiences I’ve ever had. Whereas Stratford attracts primarily serious theatergoers, the utterly charming Niagara-on-the-Lake brings in tourists from all around the globe. It’s stunning location on the banks of Lake Ontario and its picture-perfect downtown strip are worthy of a movie set. It’s also a short drive from the ever-popular Niagara Falls and other natural beauties, and, of course, there are bountiful wineries in the area. And there’s always theater in Toronto. Even in the slower month of August, I was able to catch a sleek, Ivo van Hove-esque production of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House in the city’s hip Distillery District, courtesy of Soulpepper Theatre. Being in Canada, I was also able to take a sneak peek at what the folks at Cirque du Soleil were up to. Their latest tent show, the Mexico-inspired Luzia, is absolutely sensational – vital and effortlessly seductive. It may just be the best Cirque show I’ve seen in years; don’t miss it when it comes near you.