The Shaw Festival is one of the two major Canadian theatre celebrations,
the other being The Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario. Both are professional high quality
venues.
The Shaw Festival is a tribute to George Bernard Shaw and
his writing contemporaries.
Many Clevelanders take the four-hour drive up to The Shaw, as it is called by locals, to participate in theatre, tour the “most beautiful little city in Canada,” shop, and eat at the many wonderful restaurants.
It’s a good idea to make both theatre and lodging reservations early, especially with the B&Bs on weekends. Our home away from home is the beautiful and well-placed Wellington House (www.wellington.house@sympatico.ca), directly across the street from The Festival Theatre, within easy walking distance of all the theatres. For information on other B&Bs go to www.niagaraonthelake.com/showbedandbreakfasts
There are some wonderful restaurants. My in-town favorite is The Grill on
King Street (905-468-7222, 233 King Street).
Having
just returned from the Festival, I offer these capsule judgments of some of the
shows on the schedule:
THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA--
Shaw’s THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA is a special night of musical theatre that might
not be to everyone’s liking. To
appreciate the show, the viewer must put aside an attitude of what a musical
should sound like and embrace this “different” approach. I, for one, loved the story, the music
and the production. Through October 13 in the Court House Theatre.
GUYS AND DOLLS--GUYS
AND DOLLS is a pleasant production, but lacks the dynamics and Runyonesque
qualities to make it a great show.
Too bad. With a little bit
of Yankee flair, it could have been excellent. “More I Cannot Wish You.” Through November 3, 2013 in the Festival Theatre.
ENCHANTED APRIL--Shaw’s
ENCHANTED APRIL is a well-performed, well directed, well written charming
comedy that should delight those interested in an escape from the real world
into a voyage of discovery of what is really important in life. Through October 26, 2013 at the Festival Theatre.
PEACE IN OUR TIME— PEACE
IN OUR TIME is a farcical romp, pitting the Three Stooges against Shavian satire. Though the
second act gets a little tedious, the overall effect is a learning experience
about the foibles of politics and the stupidity of humans for allowing governmental
systems to operate with little regard for humanity. Through October 12, 2013 in the Court House Theatre.
TRIFLES--TRIFLES is an
interesting quick venture in the theatre which presents two pillars of
theatrical writing in early works.
It’s worth seeing this production
to experience how Susan Glaspell and Eugene O’Neil give glimpses of
their talents in these early endeavors. Through October 12, 2013 in the Court House Theatre.
FAITH HEALER-- Brian
Friel’s FAITH HEALER is definitely not a play for everyone. It fails to grab and hold attention,
giving the director and actors a difficult performance task. It’s unclear why the artistic team at
The Shaw chose this play when much better Friel scripts are available. Through October 6, 2013 in the Royal George Theatre.
OUR BETTERS— OUR
BETTERS is a social commentary that will delight those who like to delve into British
social classes. In this case they
also get to see snapshots of Americans trying to be Brits, upper class ones at
that. Through October 27, 2013 in the Royal George Theatre.
To read the complete reviews of these shows go to: http://www.royberko.info
Shows I didn’t see, but are part of the season are:
LADY WINDEMERE’S FAN--Oscar Wilde’s bitingly satirical
attack on Victorian morals.
MAJOR BARBARA—Shaw’s provocative and witty play about
immorality and the testing of beliefs and ideals.
ARCADIA—Tom Stoppard’s intellectually dazzling mystery and
love story, which is set in both 1809 and the present time.
Two plays which will be presented as staged readings:
THE MOUNTAINTOP—Broadway’s smash hit of this past season
regarding the night before the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot. (For a review of the play go to http://www.royberko.info and search the
title. (Only September 1)
JERUSALEM—The Tony Award winning play which ran in London
(2009) and on Broadway (2010), which concerns tall tales and past glories.
(Only October 13)
For theatre information, a brochure or tickets, call 800-511-7429 or go on-line to http://www.shawfest.com. Ask about packages that include lodging, meals and tickets. Also be aware that the festival offers day-of-the-show rush tickets and senior matinee prices.
Go to the Shaw Festival! Find out what lovely hosts Canadians are, and see some great theatre! Don’t forget your passport as it’s the only form of identification that will be accepted for re-entry into the U.S.
