Festival announces its 2009 playbill

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival has announced its 2009 playbill.

The line-up reflects the Festival’s commitment to producing the works of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries, along with other classical theatre repertoire and the work of living playwrights, states a Festival press release.

“I’m very proud of the extraordinary work that our artistic team in the director’s office has done to put together the 2009 season over the past few months,” said Des McAnuff, artistic director, in the press release. “All of us on this team want very much to be a part of something truly great.”

McAnuff said the approach to creating the season is artist driven and that they have encouraged artists to come forward with their dream projects.

He has selected four plays from the Elizabethan-Jacobean period, four other classics and three contemporary Canadian plays, along with two musicals based on classical works.

Macbeth, directed by McAnuff, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cyrano de Bergerac and West Side Story will take the stage at the Festival Theatre.

At the Tom Patterson will be Bartholomew Fair, The Three Sisters and Phèdre.

At the Avon will be Julius Caesar, The Importance of Being Earnest and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

The Studio Theatre will feature an all-Canadian season featuring The Trespassers by Morris Panych, Zastrozzi by George F. Walker and Rice Boy by Sunil Kuruvilla.

“I’m delighted that the 2009 season will bring together many of the Festival’s favourite artists as well as some of the finest new talent,” said Antoni Cimolino, the Festival’s general director, in the press release. “We have created a playbill that builds on the excellent work accomplished in the 2008 season and positions the Festival well for the future.”

The 2009 season will begin in mid-April and run through October.