First the name change - now this – Marti Maraden and Don Shipley have left The Stratford Shakespeare Festival - Three Artistic Directors, Really? Really?
I thought changing the name from The Stratford Festival of Canada to The Stratford Shakespeare Festival was not the wisest thing to do – but that’s nothing compared to having three artistic directors that didn’t even last through one season.
Marti Maraden, (she will direct The Trojan Women, and All's Well That Ends Well ) and Don Shipley have abandoned their AD Posts..
That leaves The Music Man - Broadway’s Great New Hope Des McAnuff as The Captain.
Well he may have had a hit with Jersey Boys, The Who’s Tommy and the recent Farnsworth Invention and maybe he will do the same with upcoming biker’s Romeo and Juliet Cry Baby, but he's also responsible for 2000 box office disaster The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.
Was ANYBODY talkin’ to Bob de Niro after that?
For 2008, there's a much more international flair and Stratford is going back to the golden days of Stage Stars – bringing in the likes of box office draws like Christopher Plummer,Brian Dennehy, and Simon Callow BUT …
Meethinks the Festival's still in need of some serious cultural cavalry – so Thank God for Richard Monette who has come riding to the rescue.Say what you will about him, thou critics! I think he was brilliant - just the right mix of commercial and mind blowing theatre because one must happen to support the other.
Welcome to the real world of theatre these days.
Monette created The Studio Theatre where I have seen some of the best work ever produced from Harlem Duet, and Pentecost to Shakespeare’s Will. Kudos to Antoni Cimolino for bringing the Festival’s former King back to oversee Love’s Labour Lost while director Michael Langham recovers from a broken leg.
Zounds, one wonders what more will happen.
Did someone utter the name of the Scottish Play in the theatre?
