One of the plays this year at the Festival Theatre in Stratford, Ontario is Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility adapted by Kate Hamill, an actor and playwright. The costumes are stunning and the running commentary of the gossips keeps the action moving. If you know the novel, you know the story. It is a delight to see and makes for a very enjoyable experience.
A different female focused play this year is Ransacking Troy by playwright Erin Shields at the Tom Patterson Theatre. It is the story of the Trojan War told from the female point of view as “the women of Greece – tired of waiting for their husbands to return from war – stage an intervention of historical proportions. The bold Penelope and the intelligent Clytemnestra lead the charge as the band of Grecian women bravely set sail to Troy to defy the odds and end the war.” The costumes, performances and sets are all top notch.
The Festival and Tom Patterson Theatres are a short walk from downtown, by the water. I usually park in one of the lots surrounding the Festival gardens which are free and walk to the theatre. Other lots in the park charge $25. Both theatres have cafes in the lobby that serve good food. If you want to order a picnic to pick up to have in the park before the show that is an option when you book your tickets on www.stratfordfestival.ca .
