Martha Henry News

With the world marking the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare in 2016, Stratford Festival Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino has planned a number of exciting projects in honour of the occasion.

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER opened recently at Stratford Festival's Avon Theatre. As you watch it, it quickly becomes apparent as to why this play has withheld the test of time. Laugh out loud humour, beautiful set design, and an excellent cast make for an enjoyable evening (or matinee) at the theatre.

On Tuesday, Nov. 18th, two weeks after Remembrance Day, Toronto's TIFF Bell Lightbox will present one of Canada's greatest ... and rarely seen anti-war movies - Robin Phillips' adaptation of Timothy Findley's The Wars, (a Canadian-West German co-production.) It won the 1978 Governor General's Prize for literature. Findley also wrote the screenplay.

THE BEAUX' STRATAGEM, directed by Stratford Festival Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino opened to raucous laughter and thunderous applause Friday night at the Stratford Festival. With a cast like this, I would not expect anything less. This fun and thoughtful restoration comedy by George Farquhar, presents audiences with many players, harboring many talents... leading to many laughs. Needless to say, I suspect MANY tickets will be sold.

The Stratford Festival will present its 2014 Legacy Award to Martha Henry. Her extraordinary contributions to the Festival and to the performing arts in Canada will be celebrated at a gala at Toronto's Four Seasons Hotel on Monday, September 29.

MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, Directed by MARTHA HENRY, and set in the 30 years war that ravaged 17th century Europe, is as moving, upsetting, and as politically relevant as ever…which is likely exactly what playwright Bertolt Brecht intended when he initially wrote it as a response to the Second World War.

The Segal Centre for Performing Arts will present the world premiere of Peter Hinton's adaptation of The Seagull, starring Lucy Peacock and Diane D'Aquila. This comic and bittersweet re-imagining of Anton Chekhov's masterpiece plays in the Segal Theatre for a limited engagement from February 2nd to 16th, 2014. The Seagull is presented with the generous support of Delmar.

Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino has announced the 2014 season, in which, through the prism of a dozen plays, the Stratford Festival will explore the theme of Madness: Minds Pushed to the Edge.

Tuesday night marked the opening of TAKING SHAKESPEARE at Stratford Festival's intimate Studio Theatre. This play, written by Canadian playwright John Murrell, and directed by Diana LeBlanc, tells the story of an unlikely bond that develops between a professor (Martha Henry) and a struggling university student (Luke Humphrey) as they explore Shakespeare's OTHELLO and slowly begin to learn more about one another in the process. This show not only provides a master class in acting, but a master class in OTHELLO as well. It is both poignant and funny and it is sure to leave the audience reflecting on important moments from their own lives (happy or sad) and the people who have left an impact on them over the years.

Shakespeare's MEASURE FOR MEASURE gets a solid production at the Stratford Festival. Its message of mercy, justice and their relationship to pride and humility is clearly etched. Those who like the Shakespearean style of writing and plot development should be pleased with this staging.

Hirsch previews at Berkeley Street Theatre, Upstairs tonight, July 19 at 8pm, and runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at The Pleasance from August 1-25 at 2:15pm daily (except for Aug. 14).

Hirsch previews at Berkeley Street Theatre, Upstairs July 19 at 8pm, and runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at The Pleasance from August 1-25 at 2:15pm daily (except for Aug. 14).

Stratford Festival is livestreaming all of its speakers, entertainers and more from the 2013 Forum. Click below for a short promo!

To meet the demand for tickets, the Stratford Festival is adding two performances of Taking Shakespeare, the John Murrell play featuring Martha Henry and Luke Humphrey, directed by Diana Leblanc.

The Stratford Festival's box office opens to the public this Saturday, January 5, at 9 a.m., with an online advance sale beginning at noon on Friday. Facebook fans, who want to use the Festival's new social ticketing app will be able to purchase tickets as of 9 a.m. today. Tickets are being offered at up to 25% off until January 31, with an opportunity to exchange dates with no added expense.

The Segal Centre for Performing Arts and BMO Financial Group will present the Montreal premiere of RED by John Logan, a captivating look into the life of iconic Abstract-Expressionist painter Mark Rothko. Directed by Canadian stage legend Martha Henry, this six-time Tony Award-winning play will be presented in the Segal Theatre from tonight, November 25th to December 16th, 2012.

The new Stratford Festival Forum will host an exciting array of high-profile speakers and entertainers during the 2013 season. From the serious to the light-hearted, Forum events will offer a variety of riffs on themes running through the playbill, in particular themes of community, especially communities in conflict, and the role of the outsider in those communities.

The Segal Centre for Performing Arts and BMO Financial Group will present the Montreal premiere of RED by John Logan, a captivating look into the life of iconic Abstract-Expressionist painter Mark Rothko. Directed by Canadian stage legend Martha Henry, this six-time Tony Award-winning play will be presented in the Segal Theatre from November 25th to December 16th, 2012.

Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler and Carole Frechette's Helen's Necklace make their official debuts tomorrow, August 10, and Saturday night, August 11, respectively, at the Shaw Festival.