Fall at The Shaw

Nearby this 19th century village with its horse-drawn carriages and cozy cafes are the rolling vineyards of wine country and the splendor of Niagara Falls. But for theatre lovers, the real draw is the world-class Shaw Festival with fans of George Bernard Shaw filling The Shaw's four theatres to view its repertoire of classics, comedies, and dramas.

"A visit to the Shaw Festival means that patrons from across North America can enter into bold new worlds brought to life with vigor and passion on our four stages," says the festival's public relations director, Odette Yazbeck. "Plays by Shaw, Coward, O’Neill and Kanin, to name a few, offer intelligent entertainment to those looking for a unique style of theatre not found anywhere else."

A few highlights? "This year’s musical A Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim delivers beautiful lyrics and an endearing story about art, sacrifice and love. Delicious romance combine with sharp political commentary in Garson Kanin’s Born Yesterday where once again we’re reminded that knowledge is power – and very attractive!" Yazbeck says. "We’ve expanded our mandate even further to include plays that sit just outside the period of Shaw’s lifetime and audiences have responded extremely well to our first production in the new venue – John Osborne’s The Entertainer has been garnering standing ovations in our new Studio theatre since it previewed in August. Response has been equally strong to the Coward series entitled Tonight at 8:30 – where for the first time ever patrons can see all 10 one-act plays in repertory until the end of October!”

Launched in 1962, The Shaw is the only theatre in the world specializing exclusively in plays by Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries, as well as plays about the period during which Shaw lived (1856-1950). Shaw, who was known for his wit and irreverence, wrote over 50 plays and is acknowledged as one of history's greatest playwrights.