Jenny L. Wright News

The delightful musical-comedy Me and My Girl launches Tim Carroll's first season as the Shaw Festival's artistic director.

The Shaw Festival proudly announces casting for Artistic Director Tim Carroll's first season. The Shaw's 2017 ensemble is a mix of new faces and Festival favourites - each actor ready to entertain and excite audiences in this season's 11 productions.

Jackie Maxwell concludes her 14-year tenure as the Shaw Festival's Artistic Director with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – A Musical Thriller, by legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. Previews of her production of this compelling musical thriller, with its unusual take on the notion of “eat or be eaten”, began its limited run July 17 – with additional matinees already added for October 18 and 19.

The Shaw Festival tackles Thornton Wilder's masterpiece OUR TOWN, directed by Molly Smith. The quiet tale is presented in three acts, following the story of a small town at the turn of the century. A number of years pass between each act, allowing for audiences to delve deeper in the lives - hopeful and tragic of its townspeople. Starring Charlie Gallant, Kate Besworth and Benedict Campbell, this moving production also features Patrick Galligan, Catherine McGregor, Patrick McManus and Jenny L. Wright.

The Shaw Festival's 55th season begins Saturday at 2 p.m. with the first preview of Thornton Wilder's beloved play Our Town. Molly Smith, artistic director of Washington, D.C's Tony award-winning Arena Stage, returns to The Shaw to breathe vivid, new life into this classic piece of theatre - a talent she displayed so brilliantly in her production of My Fair Lady in 2011.

Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell and the Shaw Festival announce principal casting and the creative teams for the 2016 playbill. The 2016 season features new and core ensemble members and beloved returning artists celebrating Ms. Maxwell's final season and 14-year tenure at The Shaw.

The Shaw Festival today announced principal casting and creative team details for its 54th season.

GUYS AND DOLLS, the mainstage musical at the Shaw Festival this summer offers an enjoyable, tightly paced staging that gives audiences a chance to revisit one of Frank Loesser's most sparking scores. Of the four leading players, two give well-developed performances but are unbalanced by the other coupel who lack the necessary 'chemistry.' * * * 1/2 (OUT OF 5)

Already shaping up to be one of the season's hottest tickets, Guys and Dolls will continue to captivate audiences for 15 extra performances at The Shaw's Festival Theatre.

A new production of Major Barbara, one of Bernard Shaw's most celebrated and provocative works, began previews May 2 in the intimate space of the Shaw Festival's Royal George Theatre.

A new production of the Tony Award-winning musical Guys and Dolls begins previews April 12 at the Shaw's Festival Theatre. Like its musical predecessors My Fair Lady and Ragtime, the Shaw's production of Guys and Dolls celebrates glorious storytelling, unforgettable characters and memorable music. Directed by Tadeusz Bradecki and brought to life by The Shaw's renowned acting Ensemble, the 'greatest of all American musicals' pulsates with the neon-lit rhythm, energy and grittiness of New York City nightlife

An exceptional collection of talent has been assembled to bring the Shaw Festival's 52nd season to life - a unique and entertaining playbill rich with new and provocative conversations, culture clashes, magical transformations and dazzling ideas. The Salvation Army marches in this season with freshly re-envisioned productions of Guys and Dolls, one of musical theatres most celebrated pieces, and Shaw's Major Barbara - an ever relevant and potent play.

The Shaw Festival embarks on the first season of its next 50 years by proudly initiating a provocative conversation through the Tony Award-winning musical Ragtime. Based on E.L. Doctorow's novel of the same name, Ragtime is directed by Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell and brought to life by The Shaw's renowned acting Ensemble. This powerful and complex story of a young America on the cusp of defining itself and the hopes and dreams of its citizens continues to gain resonance today. Surpassing all expectations, early tickets sales to the Shaw Festival's production of Ragtime are nearly 20% above projected totals, while early April and May ticket purchases for special matinees are already 80% sold out. Yesterday's preview performance of Ragtime received a standing ovation.

In the Spirit of George Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival provokes the mind and stirs the soul through a theatre experience so compelling that, year after year, ever broadening groups of artists, audiences and supporters are drawn to our work in Niagara-on-the-Lake and beyond.

For its 2009 season, The Shaw takes on a monumental and historic project with full productions of each play in Noel Coward?s famous Tonight at 8:30 collection. The Shaw?s 2009 productions represent the first time all ten short plays have been performed in repertory by a professional company since they were first produced by London?s Phoenix Theatre in 1935-36. The plays will be performed in sets of three, one on each of the Festival?s Niagara-on-the-Lake stages, with the tenth, the rarely produced Star Chamber, being the lunchtime production in the Royal George. And to celebrate this idea for the event that it is, on two separate occasions, we will present all ten in one day ? an event we are appropriately naming ?Mad Dogs and Englishmen?.

For its 2009 season, The Shaw takes on a monumental and historic project with full productions of each play in Noel Coward?s famous Tonight at 8:30 collection. The Shaw?s 2009 productions represent the first time all ten short plays have been performed in repertory by a professional company since they were first produced by London?s Phoenix Theatre in 1935-36. The plays will be performed in sets of three, one on each of the Festival?s Niagara-on-the-Lake stages, with the tenth, the rarely produced Star Chamber, being the lunchtime production in the Royal George. And to celebrate this idea for the event that it is, on two separate occasions, we will present all ten in one day ? an event we are appropriately naming ?Mad Dogs and Englishmen?.