THEATRE NEWS: Shaw Fest’s golden season announced
22 Sep'10

JOHN COULBOURN - QMI Agency

Artistic director Jackie Maxwell is determined that the 50th season of the Shaw Festival will be a golden one indeed. To that end, the 2011 season she announced Monday will include three plays by Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright for whom the Festival is named, as well as a musical adaptation of a fourth.

But Maxwell's new season certainly doesn't stop there. In addition to productions of Shaw's HEARTBREAK HOUSE (to be directed on the Festival Theatre stage by the Fest's erstwhile artistic director Christopher Newton), ON THE ROCKS (on the Court House stage, directed by Joseph Ziegler), CANDIDA (on the Royal George stage, directed by Gina Wilkinson) and MY FAIR LADY -- Alan Jay Lerner's and Frederick Loewe's musical adaptation of Shaw's PYGMALION (on the Festival stage, directed by Molly Smith) -- Maxwell has a impressive bouquet of other shows planned. Two of them she will direct herself -- the world premiere of MARIA SEVERA, a new musical by longtime Shaw company members Jay Turvey and Paul Sportelli on the Court House stage; and the Canadian premiere of Lennox Robinson's DRAMA AT INISH -- A COMEDY.

In addition, look for a Festival Theatre production of J.M. Barrie's THE ADMIRAL CRICHTON, directed by Morris Panych, and a new production of Tennessee Williams' CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, directed by Eda Holmes.

For lunchtime patrons, Maxwell plans to revive the acclaimed 2008 production of Morwyn Brebner's adaptation of Ferenc Molnar's THE PRESIDENT, directed by Blair Williams.

Two productions have also been programmed for the third season of the Fest's intimate Studio Theatre -- the Canadian premiere, in association with Obsidian Theatre, of Suzan-Lori Parks TOPDOG/UNDERDOG (directed by Philip Akin), and the Canadian premiere of Andrew Bovell's WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING (directed by Peter Hinton).

Casting for the 2011 season is to be announced next month, with tickets on sale to the general public in January, priced at 2010 levels.