Shaw and Stratford Festivals:
Plays, Playwrights and Players

Attend plays at these renowned festivals at Niagara-on-the-Lake and Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Benefit from Gary’s knowledge and experience of a lifetime in the theater. Each festival has three stages and features the work of George Bernard Shaw and William Shakespeare as well as their contemporaries and other notable playwrights. Gain insights into the plays and behind-the-scenes theater production through festival staff speakers and tours.

Gary Gisselman, artistic director of St. Olaf Theatre, previously served as the founding artistic director of the Chanhassen Theatres, artistic director of the Arizona Theatre Company and member of the artistic staff of the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis. He taught at the University of Minnesota School of Music, University of Arizona and Arizona State University. Gary has directed nearly 200 productions of plays, musicals, industrial films and operas at such venues as the Guthrie Theatre, the Cricket, Illusion, Park Square, the Pioneer Theatre in Salt Lake City and A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle. He is directing the Guthrie Theatre’s 2001 production of “A Christmas Carol.”

In a recent interview, Gary talked with CLL's Karen Hansen about what there is to learn from favorite plays and playwrights.

Karen: What do Shaw and Shakespeare have to teach us today?

Gary: Shaw’s and Shakespeare’s stories have a real ethical edge to them that is instructive and concerned with the way that you live a life. Examining stories as ethical constructs for the way we live is getting a lot of attention right now.

No one tells better stories than Shakespeare. His narratives are powerful. Take “MacBeth.” Here’s a man highly praised for doing great battle and being bloody but unbowed. Then he’s told, “Good job, now go back and lead a nice, quiet life in this castle.” We know that syndrome from Vietnam and the Gulf War—soldiers coming home and not being able to fit into what we want to be a civilized society. So the tales always resonate.

The things that Shaw was reacting to were of his period. The language is just terrific, and the stories are wonderful. Shaw had a strong point of view and told stories with a particular philosophy about how one should live a life. Shaw’s stories such as “Pygmalion,” “Major Barbara” and “Misalliance” deal with class and with women achieving a certain equality. Shaw was fascinated by strong women but I think he was also frightened of them. So his stories are still contemporary even though most are set in the Victorian period.

I love watching ballet to see the potential of the human body. The fact that once all of our bodies had the potential to move like that is astounding. When we watch stories I think we have the same reaction. Even though we might not do the things we see in stories, we know we have the potential somewhere in us. We get to live that out in the theater, get to feel what it’s like. What greater place to see the full range of human potential than in the theater—a safer environment than a downtown street corner!

Both festivals were built around a playwright, Stratford around Shakespeare and Niagara around Shaw. Their works are still done, but after a while a certain amount of contrast was needed. Now the festivals also include works of other playwrights writing during the same periods, as well as musicals and Gilbert and Sullivan. You get an idea of what other playwrights had to say at the time.

Karen: What do you want to add to the experience for participants that they wouldn’t get on their own?

Gary: I bring a love of theater and understanding of it from working in the theater all my life. I can share knowledge of how it all comes together and provide access to the people who make the productions happen.

I have a good understanding of the plays and of how Shakespeare and Shaw work. If we see others’ works, I’ll share my knowledge of those as well.

When you bring a group of people together they have a lot of varied life experience. We may have someone in the group who knows more about Shakespeare than I do, and we will probably have some people participating because they think they ought to try it once. What really makes it interesting is attending the plays and lectures together, then talking about it as a group with, for example, a guy who runs a bank, someone who was a plumber, or a woman who has taught school for decades. People always know something that you don’t know and they have different perspectives. It’s not about someone giving the word from on high, it’s about experiencing the plays together and learning from each other.

Karen: Who are some of the players?

The festivals try hard to use as many Canadian actors as possible. Over the years, because of these two festivals, a lot more Canadian actors are interested in working. For many years there was a lot of traffic between the Guthrie Theatre and the Stratford Festival, because Tyrone Guthrie founded both. Most of the actors we remember from the early days of the Guthrie came down from Canada. A lot of the Canadian actors used to train in England, but are now trained in Canada. English actors were also brought over in the early days.

The Shaw Festival started with a combination of more American and Canadian actors. We’ll see some of the better-trained actors doing the kind of work they were trained to do.

The Stratford Festival developed just because there were people who wanted it enough. It’s still a very successful, living festival that hasn’t outworn itself as it’s gotten older. It’s adjusted and kept going. They’ve really tried to develop what theater can be.

One of the interesting things about both festivals is how they set up the repertory schedule. Figuring out the rehearsal schedule is a nightmare. We’ll talk with someone about how they craft the schedule, how they audition actors, how they get the actors there. We’ll also spend time with some of the actors, directors and designers.

For those interested in the business end of it, we’ll get some of the marketing and development people to meet with us.

In addition to all that, we will enjoy the festive atmosphere with people drawn from all over the world to these relatively secluded locations to focus on great stories told in beautiful language.

Program fee: $1,550 per person, double occupancy, includes seminars by Gary and guest lecturers, accommodations, breakfast and dinner daily, four performances at the Stratford Festival and three performances at the Shaw Festival, ground transportation and tips for coach drivers and group meals. Airfare is not included so that participants can chose to drive, use frequent flyer miles, or add days at the beginning or end of the schedule.

A deposit of $350 per person guarantees your place. You may request more information or register online, by phone or fax with a credit card. You may also send a deposit by check through regular mail. Center for Lifelong Learning programs are open to all interested lifelong learners. We're hoping to hear from you!

For more information about this Center for Lifelong Learning program, visit the CLL web site.

Also, visit the Stratford Festival web site or the Shaw Festival web site