Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, November 9, 2011… Principal casting and creative teams for The Shaw’s Royal George and Studio Theatres were announced today by Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell.

Thom Marriott & Krista Colosimo take on Shaw’s madcap Misalliance

After his hilarious performance in last season’s Drama at Inish, Thom Marriott returns for his sixth season appearing as underwear magnate John Tarleton in Bernard Shaw’s Misalliance. Krista Colosimo takes on the role of his feisty daughter Hypatia, who is determined to become an “active verb” and find adventure in her otherwise sheltered life — Shaw’s quintessential “new woman”. Wade Bogert-O’Brien returns as Joey Percival, the focus of her affections. Catherine McGregor, Jeff Meadows, Peter Krantz, Craig Pike, Tara Rosling and Ben Sanders round out the cast.

Directed by Eda Holmes, designed by Judith Bowden, lighting designed by Bonnie Beecher, with original music and sound designed by John Gzowski.

Shaw’s new generation to shine in glorious Rattigan comedy!

Parlez-vous français? Veteran actor Michael Ball helms an ensemble piece featuring many of our brilliant young actors. Wade Bogert-O’Brien, Robin Evan Willis, Martin Happer, Billy Lake, Julie Martell, Craig Pike and Ben Sanders are all poised to bring to life Terence Rattigan’s comical creation  — where improving one’s French language skills comes second to romancing girls. Learning French was never this enjoyable!

Directed by Kate Lynch, designed by William Schmuck, with lighting designed by Kirsten Watt.

Corrine Koslo & Ric Reid bring unspoken passion to life in Inge’s Sheba

Corrine Koslo follows her heart-wrenching portrayal of Big Mama in last season’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with the role of faded beauty queen Lola, a woman living in a lonely loveless marriage with Doc, her recovering alcoholic husband, played by Ric Reid. Resigned to their numbing existence of abandoned ambitions, their domestic facade begins to fracture and unspoken passions rise to the surface when a vivacious young college student moves into their cluttered Midwestern home. Also featuring Julia Course and Sharry Flett.

Directed by Jackie Maxwell, designed by Christina Poddubiuk, with lighting designed by Bonnie Beecher.

STUDIO THEATRE

Tara Rosling in first Canadian play to be presented in the Studio Theatre & Sanjay Talwar makes his Shaw Festival debut

Returning to the Studio Theatre after the successful and critically acclaimed run of last season’s When the Rain Stops Falling, Tara Rosling is Helen, a woman on a journey through the heart of a Middle Eastern city searching for a necklace and discovering so much more. The Shaw welcomes Sanjay Talwar, making his Shaw Festival debut as Nabil, the taxi-driving protector and guide.

Directed by Micheline Chevrier, designed by Judith Bowden, with lighting designed by Michelle Ramsay.

Tickets for the Shaw Festival’s 51^st season went on sale to Shaw Festival Members on November 5. Visa Infinite cardholders can purchase tickets before the general public by phone and online beginning December 3. Tickets to the general public go on sale January 9 and can be ordered by mail, fax or online at www.shawfest.com. Ticket orders by phone or in person will be accepted beginning January 14. Ticket prices range from $24 to $30 for youth, $41 to $45 for seniors and $32 to $110 for regular priced tickets. To become a Member and order tickets now, call 1-800-511-7429.

Visa Infinite is the official payment card of the Shaw Festival.

*Information accurate as of November 9, 2011.

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 In the spirit of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival provokes the mind and stirs the soul through a theatre experience so compelling that, year after year, ever-broadening groups of artists, audiences and supporters are drawn to our work in Niagara-on-the-Lake and beyond.

Please visit our website at www.shawfest.com/news  for other Shaw Festival media releases. 

Image Bank

Our digital image bank features 300 dpi photographs of the 2012 handbook images, as well as photographs of our theatres, Bernard Shaw and the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. To access our image bank, please contact:

Odette Yazbeck 
Public Relations Director 
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2222
odette@shawfest.com     

Jenniffer Anand
Public Relations Coordinator
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2224
janand@shawfest.com

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, November 7, 2011…Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell is pleased to announce the principal casting and creative teams for The Shaw’s Court House Theatre productions.  

 Marla McLean & Graeme Somerville in Githa Sowerby gem 

After an unforgettably powerful performance in last season’s When the Rain Stops Falling, Graeme Somerville returns as Richard Shannon, the duty-bound husband and brother who yearns to escape his obligations. Marla McLean returns for her seventh season as his cousin Jessica Shannon, the only self sufficient woman in Richard’s life, who offers him friendship and comfort — but at what cost? Also featuring Sharry Flett, Kate Hennig and Jenny L. Wright. 

Directed by Alisa Palmer, designed by Leslie Frankish, with lighting designed by Louise Guinand and music by Allen Cole. 

Nicole Underhay takes on Shaw’s iconic millionairess & Kevin Bundy returns 

In addition to her role as ace reporter Hildy Johnson, Nicole Underhay will appear as Shaw’s demanding and ruthless Epifania Ognisanti di Parerga Fitzfassenden, better known as The Millionairess. After several seasons with Soulpepper Theatre Company, Kevin Bundy returns to the Festival. Last seen at The Shaw in 2004’s Three Men on a Horse, Kevin Bundy takes on the role of lawyer Julius Sagamore. Kevin Hanchard returns after his critically celebrated performance in last season’s Topdog/Underdog to appear as The Doctor.  Martin Happer, Steven Sutcliffe and Robin Evan Willis round out the cast.

Directed by Blair Williams, designed by Cameron Porteous, with lighting designed by Louise Guinand.

 
The cast of Cat comes back in Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler

They steamed up the Royal George Theatre stage last season as Maggie and Brick in the highly praised Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, now Moya O’Connell and Gray Powell face each other once again as the formidable Hedda Gabler and her ex-lover Eilert Lovborg. They are joined by Patrick McManus as George Tesman and Jim Mezon as Judge Brack, also from the cast of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Claire Jullien will play Thea Elvsted, with Mary Haney and Jennifer Phipps.

Directed by Martha Henry, designed by William Schmuck, with lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte and sound design by Todd Charlton.   

Mark Uhre & Elodie Gillett play house in Tahiti

After a brilliant season as the delightful Freddy in My Fair Lady and as the dashing Armando in Maria Severa, Mark Uhre returns as Sam in Trouble in Tahiti,  Bernstein’s musical exposé of the American dream through a day in the life of one suburban marriage. As Sam’s wife Dinah, Elodie Gillett rejoins the company for her fourth season after her successful run in Jersey Boys (Dancap Productions). She was last seen at The Shaw in the 2006 production of High Society.

Directed by Jay Turvey, designed by Michael Gianfrancesco, with lighting designed by Andrew Smith.

Casting for the Royal George Theatre and Studio Theatre will be announced at a later date.
*Information accurate as of November 7, 2011.

Tickets for the Shaw Festival’s 51^st season went on sale to Shaw Festival Members on November 5. Visa Infinite cardholders can purchase tickets before the general public by phone and online beginning December 3. Tickets to the general public go on sale January 9 and can be ordered by mail, fax or online at www.shawfest.com. Ticket orders by phone or in person will be accepted beginning January 14. Ticket prices range from $24 to $30 for youth, $41 to $45 for seniors and $32 to $110 for regular priced tickets. To become a Member and order tickets now, call 1-800-511-7429.

 Visa Infinite is the official payment card of the Shaw Festival.

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 In the spirit of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival provokes the mind and stirs the soul through a theatre experience so compelling that, year after year, ever-broadening groups of artists, audiences and supporters are drawn to our work in Niagara-on-the-Lake and beyond.

Please visit our website at www.shawfest.com/news  for other Shaw Festival media releases. 

Image Bank

Our digital image bank features 300 dpi photographs of the 2012 handbook images, as well as photographs of our theatres, Bernard Shaw and the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. To access our image bank, please contact:

Odette Yazbeck 
Public Relations Director 
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2222
odette@shawfest.com     

Jenniffer Anand
Public Relations Coordinator
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2224
janand@shawfest.com

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, November 2, 2011 . . .The Shaw Festival witnessed a growth in attendance during its milestone 50^th season, which also included an increase in the number of people who came to The Shaw to see the plays by its namesake.

The 2011 season closed on October 30^th and attendance results were revealed today by Executive Director Colleen Blake. The Shaw Festival’s 50^th season attendance numbers reached 274,800, an increase of 13,000 (5%) over the 2010 season. The 2011 season also saw plays by Bernard Shaw experience a jump in attendance: 65,000 in 2011, compared to 52,500 in 2010 (50,000 in 2009). Another highlight of the 2011 season — almost 95,000 people came to see My Fair Lady, making it the best selling production in The Shaw’s history. This was also the strongest season for Shaw Festival family ticket sales.

“The 50^th season was one of special celebration,” remarked Ms. Blake. “Our stellar playbill, coupled with several commemorative events, engendered a wonderful response from patrons far and wide.”

As a Niagara Region tourism partner, the Shaw’s box office revenues translate to an overall economic impact of more than $100 million annually for the Province of Ontario. In 2011, The Shaw attracted 65,000 new visitors to the Niagara Region, including Canadians from every province and territory and Americans from every state.

The Shaw Festival’s 51^st season begins April 10, 2012, runs until October 28, 2012 and features eleven diverse productions on the Festival’s four Niagara-on-the-Lake stages. The season includes productions of Ragtime, Present Laughter, His Girl Friday, A Man and Some Women, The Millionairess, Hedda Gabler, Trouble in Tahiti, Misalliance, French Without Tears, Come Back, Little Sheba and Helen’s Necklace.

Tickets for the Shaw Festival’s 51^st season will go on sale to Shaw Festival Members on November 5. Visa Infinite cardholders can purchase tickets before the general public by phone and online beginning December 3. Tickets to the general public go on sale January 9 and can be ordered by mail, fax or online at www.shawfest.com. Tickets orders by phone or in person will be accepted beginning January 14. Ticket prices range from $24 to $30 for youth, $41 to $45 for seniors and $32 to $110 for regular priced tickets. To become a Member and order tickets now, call 1-800-511-7429.

Audited financial reports will be available January 27, 2012 at the Shaw Festival’s Annual General Meeting, to be held at the Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

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In the spirit of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival provokes the mind and stirs the soul through a theatre experience so compelling that, year after year, ever-broadening groups of artists, audiences and supporters are drawn to our work in Niagara-on-the-Lake and beyond.

Please visit our website at www.shawfest.com/the-news-room for other Shaw Festival media releases. 

Image Bank
Our digital image bank features 300 dpi images of the 2012 season photo illustrations, the Ensemble, as well as photographs of our theatres, Bernard Shaw and the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. To access our image bank, please contact:

Odette Yazbeck 
Public Relations Director 
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2222
odette@shawfest.com     

Jenniffer Anand
Public Relations Coordinator
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2224
janand@shawfest.com

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, November 1, 2011…Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell proudly announced the casting and creative teams for the three plays featured next season on The Shaw’s Festival Theatre stage. In making the announcement, Ms. Maxwell noted: “I am so inspired by the range of talent we’ve assembled to make up our 2012 Ensemble. This extraordinary group of artists will bring to life the vivid contemporary ideas of each and every playwright whose work we are proudly presenting.” 

 Thom Allison & Kate Hennig return to lead strong cast in Ragtime

After a successful run on Broadway in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Thom Allison returns to The Shaw to play Coalhouse Walker Jr. in the Terrence McNally/Lynn Ahrens/Stephen Flaherty musical epic Ragtime. He last appeared at The Shaw in the 2008 production of A Little Night Music. Kate Hennig, who wowed Broadway and Toronto audiences in Billy Elliott, returns to The Shaw after a seven year (2005, Gypsy) absence to appear as Emma Goldman. They are joined by Patty Jamieson as Mother, Jay Turvey as Tateh, Benedict Campbell as Father, Alana Hibbert as Sarah, Julie Martell as Evelyn Nesbitt and Evan Alexander Smith as Younger Brother. 

Directed by Jackie Maxwell, musical direction by Paul Sportelli, choreography by Valerie Moore, designed by Sue LePage, lighting designed by Alan Brodie, sound design by John Lott and  projection design by Sean Nieuwenhuis.

Nicole Underhay flanked by impressive ensemble in His Girl Friday 

Returning for her sixth season at The Shaw, Nicole Underhay portrays ace reporter Hildebrand ‘Hildy” Johnson. Benedict Campbell is the irascible editor Walter Burns, with Neil Barclay, Kevin Bundy, Kevin Hanchard, Peter Krantz, Ric Reid and Jeff Meadows filling up the newsroom as fellow hack reporters and visitors.

Directed by Jim Mezon, designed by Peter Hartwell, lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte and original music and sound design by John Gzowski.

Present Laughter brings O’Connell & Sutcliffe back together again

They first appeared as adversaries in the 2010 production of An Ideal Husband, then in the 2011 season they were stranded on an island together in The Admirable Crichton. In 2012, Moya O’Connell and Steven Sutcliffe will delight audiences again when they appear together in Noël Coward’s classic comedy, Present Laughter. Steven Sutcliffe will add the celebrated role of Garry Essendine to his long list of credits and will also be joined on stage by Claire Jullien and Mary Haney along with Patrick McManus, Gray Powell, Julia Course, Jonathan Tan and Jennifer Phipps.

Directed by David Schurmann, designed by William Schmuck and lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte.

Casting for the Court House Theatre, Royal George Theatre and Studio Theatre will be announced at a later date. 

The Shaw Festival welcomes and acknowledges the generous support of the following sponsors for the 2012 Season:

Major Sponsor

Official Payment Card – Visa Infinite

Major Supporter

The Slaight Family Academy – The Slaight Family Foundation

Production Sponsors

Ragtime – TD Bank Group
Misalliance – Scotiabank Group
The Millionairess – PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Trouble in Tahiti – Vintage Hotels
Helen’s Necklace – Paradigm Capital Inc. 

 Project Sponsors

Arts Accessibility Program – Sun Life Financial
Education Partner – Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life
Apprenticeship Program – RBC

Product Sponsors

Jackson Triggs Niagara Estate Winery
Inniskillin Winery
Peller Estates

Tickets for the Shaw Festival’s 51^st season will go on sale to Shaw Festival Members on November 5. Visa Infinite cardholders can purchase tickets before the general public by phone and online beginning December 3. Tickets to the general public go on sale January 9 and can be ordered by mail, fax or online at www.shawfest.com. Ticket orders by phone or in person will be accepted beginning January 14. Ticket prices range from $24 to $30 for youth, $41 to $45 for seniors and $32 to $110 for regular priced tickets. To become a Member and order tickets now, call 1-800-511-7429.

*Information accurate as of November 1, 2011.

-30-

In the spirit of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival provokes the mind and stirs the soul through a theatre experience so compelling that, year after year, ever-broadening groups of artists, audiences and supporters are drawn to our work in Niagara-on-the-Lake and beyond.

Please visit our website at www.shawfest.com/the-news-room for other Shaw Festival media releases. 

Image Bank
Our digital image bank features 300 dpi images of the 2012 season photo illustrations, the Ensemble, as well as photographs of our theatres, Bernard Shaw and the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. To access our image bank, please contact:

Odette Yazbeck 
Public Relations Director 
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2222
odette@shawfest.com     

Jenniffer Anand
Public Relations Coordinator
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2224
janand@shawfest.com

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, October 4, 2011…The Shaw Festival is pleased to announce the appointment of Key Gordon Communications, the Toronto-based award-winning advertising and design firm, as its new creative agency.

“The Shaw is currently at an exciting point in its history, having just celebrated our 50^th birthday,” commented Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell. “Now we must look ahead to our next half century and find partners who can translate our new ideas and dreams to an ever larger and more complex public. We feel confident that the innovative staff members at Key Gordon are absolutely the right people at the right time to do all of this and more.”

“The artistry and creativity of Key Gordon mirrors the artistry and creativity of The Shaw – it’s a perfect match,” remarked Valerie Taylor, the Shaw Festival’s Director of Marketing.

According to Grant Gordon, Founder and Creative Director at Key Gordon, this new relationship with The Shaw is a natural fit: “The golden rule is that there are no golden rules. What better mantra to guide us than a quote from Shaw himself. We pitched the Shaw Festival with no holds barred, because we love theatre and we love Shaw. Most of all, we love promoting products that make the world a better place. We are thrilled to collaborate with the many creative minds at the Shaw. If the laughs we had during our pitch are any indication, we are going to work really well together. Expect dramatically different work; expect a lot of rules to be broken.”

Since their inception in 2001, Key Gordon Communications has stuck slavishly to their motto “Branding the good guys”. From Butterfield & Robinson bike trips and Yukon wilderness tours to energy conservation programs, alternative energy companies, ENGOs, Young People’s Theatre and now the Shaw Festival, they brand the good guys every day. It’s all they do.

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In the spirit of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival provokes the mind and stirs the soul through a theatre experience so compelling that, year after year, ever-broadening groups of artists, audiences and supporters are drawn to our work in Niagara-on-the-Lake and beyond.

Please visit our website at www.shawfest.com/the-news-room for other Shaw Festival media releases. 

Image Bank & B-Roll
Our digital image bank features 300 dpi photographs of this season’s productions, the 2011 Ensemble, as well as photographs of our theatres, Bernard Shaw and the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Broadcast quality B-roll of our productions is also available.

To access our image bank or to have DVDs or Beta tapes delivered to you, please contact:

Odette Yazbeck 
Public Relations Director 
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2222
odette@shawfest.com     

Jenniffer Anand
Public Relations Coordinator
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2224
janand@shawfest.com

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, September 26, 2011…After over 17 years as Executive Director, Colleen Blake will be leaving the Shaw Festival in early spring 2012.

In announcing her decision to move on, Ms. Blake commented that, as the 50^th season comes to an end, the timing was right to take stock, look forward to her own future and The Shaw’s.

“The Shaw is an incredibly creative company, full of dedicated and talented people who give their all on a continual basis,” reflected Ms. Blake. “It has been an enormous privilege to share the leadership of this remarkable organization with Jackie Maxwell since 2002 and with Christopher Newton before that.”

“To have Colleen Blake as a partner in the complex, thrilling, but often difficult job of making great theatre, as I have had for the past 10 years, is to know that you have the ultimate collaborator by your side,” noted Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell. “Her ability to promote, question, encourage, yet reconfigure when necessary, is unmatched. Her commitment to, and love of theatre shines through at all times. The Shaw Festival has benefited from her great leadership for 17 years, and so it is on behalf of all of us, that I send Colleen a heartfelt thank you and wish her well in, what will no doubt be, a new rich period in her life.”

“Under Colleen’s stewardship, the Shaw Festival has evolved not only in size but also in stature and has become a very important economic driver in the Niagara Region,” remarked Gary Comerford, Board of Governors Chair.

While the search for a new Executive Director will begin immediately, Ms. Blake will continue in her current role until her successor is appointed.

Ms. Blake was born in Alberta, educated in Canada and the United States, and is a graduate of the University of Windsor with an honours degree in English. She is the recipient of the 1972 Jean A. Chalmers Apprentice Award (awarded annually by the Stratford Festival to young professionals) and the 1983 Pauline M. McGibbon Award (awarded by the Ontario government for excellence in the early stages of a theatre professional’s career). In June 2004, Ms. Blake was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from the University of Windsor.

Ms. Blake’s extensive career in the theatre includes an 18-year association with the Stratford Festival in positions ranging from stage manager through production manager and Director of Production to six years as Producer. She also worked as Production Manager of Young People’s Theatre and General Manager of the Bastion Theatre Company in Victoria, B.C.

Renowned for her generosity with both her time and her vast expertise, Ms. Blake has served on numerous steering committees and boards for various arts agencies and professional associations, as well as treasurer for the Board of the Niagara Economic Development Corporation and a past member of the Bicentennial Legacy Council. A past president of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Rotary, Ms. Blake was recognized for her contributions to the Rotary Club of Niagara-on-the-Lake with a Paul Harris Award. Since August 2009, Ms. Blake has been a member of the Ontario Nonprofit Network’s Advisory Council and is also currently on the boards of both Studio 180 and Niagara College.

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In the spirit of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival provokes the mind and stirs the soul through a theatre experience so compelling that, year after year, ever-broadening groups of artists, audiences and supporters are drawn to our work in Niagara-on-the-Lake and beyond.

Please visit our website at www.shawfest.com/the-news-room for other Shaw Festival media releases. 

Image Bank & B-Roll
Our digital image bank features 300 dpi photographs of this season’s productions, the 2011 Ensemble, as well as photographs of our theatres, Bernard Shaw and the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Broadcast quality B-roll of our productions is also available.

To access our image bank or to have DVDs or Beta tapes delivered to you, please contact:

Odette Yazbeck 
Public Relations Director 
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2222
odette@shawfest.com     

Jenniffer Anand
Public Relations Coordinator
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2224
janand@shawfest.com

Media Release #32

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, September 21, 2011…The Shaw Festival, the renowned Canadian theatre repertory company, is thrilled to announce the release of its new mobile application — another high point to celebrate during its 50^th season. Co-developed by Discover Anywhere Mobile and The Shaw’s Marketing and IT Web Teams, the mobile application offers the user one more way to gain access to all that the Shaw Festival offers, while planning their Shaw Festival experience. The mobile app is available now for iPhone users and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or at www.shawfest.com/get-your-free-shaw-app. An app for Blackberry and Android smartphones will be rolled-out in late September, early October.

 This new app makes planning a Niagara-on-the-Lake theatre getaway a hassle-free experience. In addition to having the ability to purchase tickets (via direct dial), The Shaw mobile app also provides Shaw Festival theatre enthusiasts easy access to information about the season’s playbill and Niagara theatre packages, as well as information on Niagara-on-the-Lake hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, wineries and area events and attractions.

 “We’re very excited to launch this mobile application during our landmark 50^th season,” said Executive Director Colleen Blake. “As we look forward to the next 50 years, one of our aims is to implement consumer-friendly tools that make planning a theatre visit as easy as possible. This new application brings the mobility of technology to the cultural experience and it all begins on the screen of a smartphone or tablet computer.”

 Commenting on Discover Anywhere’s involvement with the Shaw Festival and the development of its mobile app, David Janes, President of Discover Anywhere remarked: “The Shaw Festival is synonymous with great theatre so when we were asked to create their app, our goal was to create an exceptional experience connecting theatre-goers to all things ‘Shaw’. The app presents all relevant information about The Shaw optimized for mobile, including the current playbill, the performance schedule, ‘getting here’, and ticket and box office information. Additionally, the app invites visitors to discover Niagara-on-the-Lake, its attractions, hotels, wineries all presented using advanced features such as GPS, itinerary planning, social media, augmented reality and mapping.”

 In conjunction with the launch, and in celebration of the 50^th season, theatregoers who download The Shaw app are able to purchase theatre tickets to see The Admirable Crichton by Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie and Bernard Shaw’s Heartbreak House for only $50 per ticket in Blue seating and can upgrade to Red seating for only $15 more per ticket. Regular prices range from $63 – $73 (Blue seating) to $76 – $86 (Red seating). This special limited time mobile app ticket offer currently runs until September 30; handling fee and some restrictions apply.

 The Shaw Festival’s milestone season began April 7, runs until October 30, 2011. For more information on the 50^th season, please visit www.shawfest.com/our-50th-season.

Visa Infinite is the official payment card of the Shaw Festival.

About Discover Anywhere Mobile
Launched by Cartesian Software Consulting and led by President David Janes, Toronto-based Discover Anywhere Mobile provides solutions for companies and organizations seeking geo-aware applications for the mobile market, from “off the rack” apps to complete custom development, including e-commerce and social media integration. Through location-aware iPhone, BlackBerry Android and mobile web applications for destinations and commercial ventures, Discover Anywhere Mobile ensures people are always connected to a destination’s events, conferences, shopping, accommodations, restaurants and more.

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In the spirit of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival provokes the mind and stirs the soul through a theatre experience so compelling that, year after year, ever-broadening groups of artists, audiences and supporters are drawn to our work in Niagara-on-the-Lake and beyond.

Please visit our website at www.shawfest.com/the-news-room for other Shaw Festival media releases. 

Image Bank & B-Roll
Our digital image bank features 300 dpi photographs of this season’s productions, the 2011 Ensemble, as well as photographs of our theatres, Bernard Shaw and the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Broadcast quality B-roll of our productions is also available.

To access our image bank or to have DVDs or Beta tapes delivered to you, please contact:

Odette Yazbeck 
Public Relations Director 
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2222
odette@shawfest.com     

Jenniffer Anand
Public Relations Coordinator
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2224
janand@shawfest.com

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, September 20, 2011 . . . Looking ahead to the next 50 seasons of theatrical exploration, Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell officially announced the playbill for the Shaw Festival’s 51^st season today.

The Shaw Festival’s 2012 season proudly features 11 productions presented on the Festival’s four Niagara-on-the-Lake stages, and includes a compelling contemporary musical, two productions by the Festival’s namesake, a newly discovered Githa Sowerby play and much, much more. Impressive too is the list of directors, several of whom are members of the Shaw’s renowned acting Ensemble. Now deep into finalizing the casting for this rich season, Ms. Maxwell commented: “I feel strongly that we are striding into our next half century full of energy, ideas and the means to initiate a whole new series of important theatrical conversations.”

Two Shaw Festival premieres and a Coward on the Festival Theatre stage

The Shaw Festival presents Ragtime, the celebrated Tony Award-winning adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s ground-breaking novel. Directed by Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell, the Terrence McNally/Lynn Ahrens/Stephen Flaherty musical epic traces the roots of 20^th century America through the complex stories of three very different families. “A fascinating and celebrated piece when it was first produced in Toronto in 1996, Ragtime’s themes and ideas are even more timely today and it is thrilling to be able to explore and re-present them here at The Shaw,” stated Ms. Maxwell.

Also making its Shaw Festival premiere is His Girl Friday by John Guare, a brilliant blending of the 1940 movie of the same name with its original source, The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. This screwball comedy, served with a sharp dash of politics and corruption, will be directed by Ensemble member Jim Mezon, who last directed 2008’s An Inspector Calls. Sharing the Festival Theatre stage is the classic Noël Coward comedy Present Laughter. Last seen at The Shaw in 1990, this new production continues the Festival’s ongoing celebration of this brilliant playwright and will be directed by Ensemble member David Schurmann.

Works by Shaw, Bernstein, Sowerby, Ibsen, Rattigan and Inge presented in the intimacy of the Court House and Royal George Theatres

At the Court House Theatre, music returns to the lunchtime with Trouble in Tahiti, Leonard Bernstein’s one-act opera on love and longing in American 1950’s suburbia. Following his success directing the musical reading of Trouble in Tahiti in 2010, Ensemble member Jay Turvey makes his directorial debut at the Shaw Festival with this season’s jazzy lunchtime treat.

The Court House Theatre playbill will continue The Shaw’s exploration of the works of British playwright Githa Sowerby. Alisa Palmer returns to direct Sowerby’s rarely performed 1914 play A Man and Some Women, a provocative story of a family driven apart by money. A Man and Some Women continues the successful archaeological programming that included The Shaw’s highly acclaimed 2004 production of Sowerby’s first full-length play Rutherford and Son and its 2008 production of The Stepmother. Also in the Court House Theatre, Ensemble member Blair Williams, director of The Shaw’s hit production The President, directs The Millionairess, Bernard Shaw’s madcap comedy centred on one of Shaw’s most glorious larger-than-life heroines Epifania Ognisanti di Parerga Fitzfassenden. A celebrated Shavian actor, The Millionairess marks Mr. Williams’ first directorial undertaking of a full-length Shaw play. The Shaw is also delighted to welcome back renowned actor and director Martha Henry. Ms. Henry will direct Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler. Ms. Henry last directed The Autumn Garden at The Shaw in 2005 and is thrilled to be bringing this classic Ibsen play to light in the Court House Theatre.

The season’s second Shaw offering, Misalliance, will be presented at the Royal George Theatre. After her directorial success with last season’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Associate Director Eda Holmes tackles Bernard Shaw’s comedy of the laws of sexual attraction and the difficulty of fitting them into marriage. Also at the Royal George Theatre, Kate Lynch returns to direct Terence Rattigan’s French Without Tears, a sexy comedic romp set in the south of France and one of Rattigan’s longest running hits on the London stage. Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell continues her rich relationship with the work of William Inge with the domestic drama Come Back Little Sheba. Ms. Maxwell previously directed other Inge works Picnic and Bus Stop at The Shaw in 2001 and 2005, respectively, to critical acclaim.

One of Canada’s leading female playwrights continues new programming in the Studio Theatre

After a season of great success in the Studio Theatre with the staging of Topdog/Underdog and When the Rain Stops Falling, the focus shifts to a Canadian writer in 2012. Award-winning Quebec writer Carole Fréchette’s poignantly poetic Helen’s Necklace (Le Collier d’Hélène), translated and adapted by John Murrell, will be the next offering of contemporary Shavian work in the Studio.

Occurring throughout the year, the Play Development Program continues its dedication to the development and production of new plays that can sit alongside those of Shaw, Chekhov and Coward, as well as new adaptations and translations that convey classic stories in a contemporary way. Currently in development are plays by Erin Shields, Michel Marc Bouchard, John Murrell and Brendan Gall.

2012 season ticket on-sale dates to note:

Visa Infinite Cardholders can purchase tickets before the general public: December 3^rd, 2011 to December 16^th, 2011

• Online, fax, mail, by phone and in-person

Members’ Special Priority Booking Period: November 5, 2011 to December 2, 2011

• Telephone, in-person, online, fax and mail orders will be accepted beginning November 5 according to level of Membership.

General Public: January 9, 2012

• Fax, mail and online beginning January 9
• By phone and in-person beginning January 14

Visa Infinite is the official payment card of the Shaw Festival.

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In the spirit of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival provokes the mind and stirs the soul through a theatre experience so compelling that, year after year, ever-broadening groups of artists, audiences and supporters are drawn to our work in Niagara-on-the-Lake and beyond.

Please visit our website at www.shawfest.com/the-news-room for other Shaw Festival media releases. 

Image Bank & B-Roll
Our digital image bank features 300 dpi photographs of this season’s productions, the 2011 Ensemble, as well as photographs of our theatres, Bernard Shaw and the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Broadcast quality B-roll of our productions is also available.

To access our image bank or to have DVDs or Beta tapes delivered to you, please contact:

Odette Yazbeck 
Public Relations Director 
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2222
odette@shawfest.com     

Jenniffer Anand
Public Relations Coordinator
905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2224
janand@shawfest.com

My Fair Lady at the Shaw Festival and Rodgers And Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Arena Stage are simultaneously breaking records 

Media Release #29

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario/Washington, D.C., September 14, 2011…Artistic Director of Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theatre Molly Smith finds herself with two record-breaking shows in North America at the same time: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at her home theatre in D.C. and My Fair Lady in the 50th season of the Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake. Under her direction, both shows have become the best-selling productions in the companies’ histories.
Smith’s fresh interpretation of My Fair Lady, the popular Lerner and Loewe musical based on Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, which has garnered praise from both audiences and critics alike, will have attracted close to 90,000 people when its run ends October 30 after 126 performances in the Shaw’s Festival Theatre.

The 2010 Helen Hayes Outstanding Resident Musical Oklahoma! has reached more than 100,000 people during both engagements of the critically acclaimed production last fall and this summer. With 174 public performances over 23 weeks, the combined runs make Oklahoma! the longest-running mainstage production in Arena Stage’s 61-year history. Oklahoma! must close October 2.

“Molly’s production of My Fair Lady here at the Shaw Festival is a jewel in the crown of our 50th season,” noted Shaw Festival Executive Director Colleen Blake. “Like her remarkable Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady continues to delight audiences from across the United States and Canada.”

“I just saw Molly’s production of My Fair Lady this past weekend at Shaw,” shares Arena Stage Managing Director Edgar Dobie. “Like Oklahoma! it is a huge hit and each ticket sold (and there have been hundreds of thousands of them) to both shows is the best vote of confidence in Molly’s gift as a first-class director of the greatest of American musicals. Multi-national audiences so obviously agree!”

For additional information regarding Oklahoma! visit www.arenastage.org and for My Fair Lady visit www.shawfest.com.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theatre is a national center dedicated to the production, presentation, development and study of American theatre. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Managing Director Edgar Dobie, Arena Stage is the largest company in the country dedicated to American plays and playwrights. Arena Stage produces huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit, and presents diverse and ground-breaking work from some of the best artists around the country. Arena Stage is committed to commissioning and developing new plays through the American Voices New Play Institute. Now in its sixth decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 300,000. www.arenastage.org

Now in its 50th season, the Shaw Festival is the only theatre in the world that produces and presents the works by Bernard Shaw, his contemporaries, playwrights writing anywhere in the world during, or about, the era of Shaw’s lifetime; and the work of contemporary Shavians – writers whose work, like Shaw’s, continue to question the status quo in new and different ways. Led by Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell and Executive Director Colleen Blake, the Shaw Festival is one of the few theatre companies maintaining a permanent acting company and the only one in the world specializing in such a defined historical period. The Shaw Festival is not only renowned internationally for single-handedly revitalizing and re-energizing the works of Bernard Shaw, but is also committed to presenting them anew in fresh, interesting and innovative ways. Through its Play Development Program, the Shaw Festival is also dedicated to the development and production of new plays that can sit alongside those of Shaw, Chekhov and Coward, as well as new adaptations and translations that convey classic stories in a contemporary way.  www.shawfest.com

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Arena Stage Contact: Kirstin M. Franko; press@arenastage.org, 202-600-4055
Shaw Festival Contact: Odette Yazbeck; odette@shawfest.com, 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2222