Stratford Ontario

Photos: August 18-20, 2015

My daughter and I went to Stratford, a charming city in Southern Ontario, where the Stratford Festival has been offering amazing theatre since 1953. While the theatre was the main reason for our visit (we saw 6 plays in 3 days), a visit to Stratford is no complete without a stroll along the water. Water fowl abound. Swans, many of which are quite tame and will actually eat from your hand are the iconic bird.



They are still somewhat territorial among each other, but more so when they are nesting.



There are also a number of public pianos - this one sported a swan motif.



Ducks are everywhere along the banks - eating, sleeping, preening, bathing and quacking.



It is always fun to see them shaking off the water as they dunk and preen.



On the approach to the Festival Theatre there is a beautiful garden, complete with some water flowers. I can never resist photographing them.

I highly recommend the theatre at Stratford. This season there are 13 productions - actors take on roles in more than one. There are 4 theatres and in addition, there are lectures, concerts, tours of the costume warehouse, backstage tours... and, of course, walking along the water.

Just Resting

Just Resting, originally uploaded by susanvg.

My daughter and I adore Stratford. We soak in theatre, an intense spurt in a few days. Today was Two Gentlemen of Verona and Peter Pan. Both were excellent. The quality of acting here is outstanding. And Stratford has the money to invest in sets and costumes. In three of the four theatres, the stage is a thrust stage so the audience feels less separated from the actors. Sets are often less complex, but the staging is always creative.

Another thing we love about Stratford is the town itself - many Victorian houses and a river which widens into a lake with considerable park land. We strolled along the lake on our way to supper. Many swans were by the water's edge, either feeding in the water or preening on land. This one had obviously finished with its boudoir and was taking a rest. There are many ducks, more than I had remembered. By 6:00 in the evening, a number had installed themselves on the grass, head tucked in, ready for a good rest.