THEATRE NEWS: Dennehy to return for 2011 Stratford season
29 Jun'10

JOHN COULBOURN - QMI Agency

When it comes to the works of William Shakespeare, four seems to be the magic number for the Stratford Festival's artistic director, Des McAnuff. With the 2010 season well-launched and three of four planned Shakespeare productions up and running, McAnuff announced plans for the Festival's 2011 season Monday -- a season that also will include four productions of Shakespeare's work.

McAnuff will direct perhaps the best-known of the four, mounting a production of TWELFTH NIGHT in the Festival Theatre, with Brian Dennehy returning to the Festival to essay the role of Sir Toby Belch, Stephen Ouimette returning to play Sir Andrew Aguecheek, with Tom Rooney cast as Malvolio and Ben Carlson as Feste.

Meanwhile, Frank Galati will make his Festival debut, directing THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, also on the Festival stage, with Geraint Wyn Davies cast as Falstaff, Janet Wright as Mistress Quickly and Rooney as Ford.

Director Miles Potter meanwhile has been signed to direct a production of RICHARD III on the Tom Patterson stage, featuring Seana McKenna in the title role.

A production of TITUS ANDRONICUS is also planned for the Patterson stage, with director and casting to be announced. Also on the books for the Festival stage, a production of Moliere's THE MISANTHROPE, translated by Richard Wilber and directed by Brian Bedford, who will also appear in the show opposite Carlson's Alceste.

On the Avon stage, director Gary Griffin returns to direct a new production of Lerner and Loewe's classic musical, CAMELOT, featuring Wyn Davies as King Arthur. McAnuff will direct a production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical JUSES CHRIST SUPERSTAR, with Paul Nolan cast as Jesus and Chilina Kennedy as Mary Magdalene.

A new production of Galati's adaptation of John Steinbeck's THE GRAPES OF WRATH is planned for the Avon stage in addition to a production of Harold Pinter's THE HOMECOMING. Directed by Antoni Cimolino, GRAPES will featuring Kennedy as Rosasharn and Wright as Ma; while THE HOMECOMING, directed by Jennifer Tarver, will feature Dennehy and Ouimette as Max and Sam respectively.

In the Studio Theatre, Weyni Mengesha will direct a production of Michel Tremblay's HOSANNA, while Chris Abraham will return to direct the world premiere of John Mighton's THE LITTLE YEARS, commissioned by the Festival in 2008 -- at the same time it commissioned George F. Walker's KING OF THIEVES, which is slated to open later this season. A third commission from Judith Thompson is listed as "ongoing", while a fourth -- a musical by THE DROWSY CHAPERONE's Bob Martin, Don McKellar, Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison -- was announced Monday.