Stratford Festival wins two Canadian Screen Awards

 

Stratford Festival wins two Canadian Screen Awards

 

March 10, 2017… Stratford Festival HD was honoured at the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards with two major awards: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Limited Series for Ben Carlson; and Best Performing Arts Program for The Taming of the Shrew.

 

"Congratulations to Ben Carlson and to producers Barry Avrich and Susan Edwards," says Executive Director Anita Gaffney. "As Ben pointed out in his acceptance speech, these awards are shared by everyone in the cast and crew. Indeed everyone at the Festival should feel incredible pride. For every person performing on our stages – or in our films – there are seven people behind the scenes making the magic happen. We are fortunate to have moments like these to reflect on and celebrate the talent in our ranks."

 

The Taming of the Shrew, directed for the stage by Chris Abraham and for the screen by Barry Avrich, was broadcast by CBC last summer, after screening at Cineplex theatres across Canada, and at theatres in the U.S. and abroad. It is part of a 10-year initiative to capture all of Shakespeare's plays on film.

 

"I am delighted to see our work honoured beyond the stage," says Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino. "Anita and I embarked on this project to share the work of the Stratford Festival far beyond Stratford's borders. In only two years, our films have been seen by almost 340,000 people. And just as important, we have captured the performances of some of Canada's most talented classical actors – including the truly memorable performances by Ben Carlson and Deborah Hay in this now award-winning production of The Taming of the Shrew."

 

The Festival's nominations also included: Evan Buliung, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Limited series, for The Adventures of Pericles; Geraint Wyn Davies, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Limited Series, for Hamlet; Shelagh O'Brien, Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Limited Series, for Hamlet; and The Adventures of Pericles, Best Performing Arts Program.

 

This year's Stratford Festival HD offerings begin this Saturday, March 18, with the première screening of Macbeth, starring Ian Lake, at Cineplex theatres across Canada. Macbeth, directed for the stage by Mr. Cimolino, was the highlight of the 2016 season, winning rave reviews and becoming one of the Festival's top selling Shakespeare productions in its entire 65-year history.

 

The film of Love's Labour's Lost, directed for the stage by John Caird, will première across Canada on April 29. U.S. screenings of both films will begin March 18 and continue through the fall.

 

Macbeth and Love's Labour's Lost will be broadcast this summer on CBC, Canada's national public broadcaster.

 

Canadian distribution is through Cineplex, which specializes in bringing world-class events and performances to the big screen. U.S. and international distribution is through SpectiCast, the fastest growing event cinema marketing and distribution company in the world.

 

Stratford Festival HD is sponsored by Sun Life Financial as part of their Making the Arts More Accessible™ program.

Support for Stratford Festival HD is generously provided by Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, the Jenkins Family Foundation, the Henry White Kinnear Foundation, Ophelia & Mike Lazaridis, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Sandra & Jim Pitblado, the Slaight Family Foundation, Robert & Jacqueline Sperandio, and an anonymous donor.

The Festival also acknowledges the support of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

The Stratford Festival's 2017 season runs from April 15 to October 29, featuring Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens, Guys and Dolls, HMS Pinafore, Treasure Island, The School for Scandal, The Changeling, Bakkhai, Tartuffe, The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Komagata Maru Incident, The Virgin Trial and The Breathing Hole.