Wednesday's Webcast Now Online

If you missed the live webcast with General Director Antoni Cimolino yesterday, or you want to see it again, it's now available online at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

All segments will play by default, but you can open each individually from the video playlist.

PART A - Introduction from Antoni Cimolino. (5 minutes)

PART B - Backstage tour. (20 minutes)

You'll see maquettes for Romeo and Juliet (2008), The Taming of the Shrew (2008), Hamlet (2008), and The Music Man (2008) in the scenic arts shop.

Then it's off to the Avon Theatre, where Cabaret (2009) really does look as if it's "been through a war".

Backstage at the Festival Theatre, in the wardrobe department, you'll see sketches for Bruce Dow and Leah Oster, as well as shoes being made for Stephen Ouimette.

Finally, they'll spoil a plot point from Cabaret (2008) in the props shop.

PART C - Antoni Cimolino takes questions from live participants. (11 minutes)

Why do Shakespeare today? What can you tell us about new play development in the fall? (It's expanded, so news will be slow.) Why do musicals in the Avon? Are you really doing Shaw? (Yes, it's part of the repetoire.)

And then it lapses into promotional information about the new $20 ticket program, the Festival Pavilion, and whether or not passports are required for crossing the border on land.

Cimolino also announced that there will be seating available on the Tom Patterson stage for There Reigns Love (2009), a look at Shakespeare through his sonnets developed and performed by Simon Callow.

Just follow the link for your own guided tour behind the scenes of the 2008 season at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.