Road Trip to Stratford, Ontario and the Art of Theatre!

What a great few days! I returned the other night from Stratford, Ontario, where I enjoyed two productions and the lovely town!

 

After one of the most magnificent drives I've had in a long while (alas, no photos because -- well -- I was driving in new territory), I arrived in Stratford. It was a four-hour drive through loads of beautiful farmland and the lighting was so perfect there were moments it almost took my breath away. I immediately headed for my hotel for early check in before the play. 

 

This was a Rodeway Inn, and the room was large and very clean with a lovely view. I was surprised and pleased. (And reasonably inexpensive, especially with the exchange rate!)

Then it was off to the theatre for my first show. I nailed a good parking spot by the river and took my lunch down to enjoy there. 

 

The river goes through the town and the festival theatre is just up a hill. The color wasn't at peak, but well on the way.

 

Not a bad luncheon view, is it? And the temps were warm and so it was rather a perfect moment.

 

My luncheon companion was this handsome bird! He wasn't too pesky! 

 

I even had a Harry sighting -- This is Harry Stratford!  

 

I rather enjoyed a flotilla of geese paddling down the river and Harry S. seemed to be enjoying them too.

 

On the way up the hill to the theatre, I passed the adjacent ball park, where kids were playing baseball, including a young Mennonite woman, playing in her dark dress. She caught just about anything that came her way and had an amazing arm, throwing that ball farther than I ever could!

 

My first show was "Something Rotten." If that sounds familiar, it may be because I wrote about seeing it in June when Rick and I went. This time I saw it from the front row!

 

I love this show (this was my third time). It follows two brothers in Elizabethan times who really want to be playwrights but there is big competition -- William Shakespeare! 

 

They are convinced to write what will be the big new thing -- a musical! Of course there are schemes, plots, and lots of references to just about every Shakespeare play and Broadway musical ever written. 

 

As before, the standing ovation was well deserved!

 

Then it was off to town to grab some dinner before heading to my next show. I had a terrific Caesar salad with chicken at Pazzo Pizza. No place to sit except at the bar, but I met a couple of lovely people there, which made dinner all the nicer! (Their pizza looked amazing!)

 

That evening I saw "The Importance of Being Earnest," Oscar Wilde's comedy classic at the smaller Avon Theatre.

 

When we walked in, this was the scene -- a beautiful, sheer scrim with a floral painting and, though it is hard to see in the photos, a wide bank of flowers running all across the front edge of the stage. 

 

The second act was lovely too and an amazing team of actors moved these sets with great flair and grace, even getting a round of applause for their efforts. 

 

And the costumes were wonderful!

 

It was a delightful way to end the evening. But my time visiting was far from over. That's for next time! 

(Note: Photos from "Something Rotten" and "The Importance of Being Earnest" were copied from the Stratford Festival Facebook page. My thanks to them!) 

Sharing with:  Saturday's Critters   /   Friday Face-Off   / Sunday in the Art Room (SITAR)  /  Love Your Creativity  /  Talking About It Tuesday