Antoni Cimolino
iPhoto caption: André Sills and Krystin Pellerin in 'Othello.' Photo by David Hou.
REVIEW: In The Tempest and Othello, the Stratford Festival gets vengeful — and it rocks
The two strong productions, seen as a double bill, make a compelling case against choosing vengeance, with director Haysam Kadri’s Othello an especially riveting and taut interpretation.
iPhoto caption: Marissa Orjalo as Ariel with members of the company in 'The Tempest.' Stratford Festival 2026. Photo by Ann Baggley.
For Marissa Orjalo, this season at Stratford is such stuff as dreams are made on
“Every day feels like a new adventure,” says Orjalo. “I always look to the people who've come before me, and they're always very generous. I'm on this journey of learning, and I hope to learn for the rest of my life.”
iPhoto caption: Headshot of Antoni Cimolino. Photo by Ted Belton.
“You want to choose things that feel important to the moment,” he says about building a Stratford Festival season. “If you choose plays and they don’t resonate, it’s very hurtful. You believe in them and the power of them.”
iPhoto caption: The company of 'The Comedy of Errors.' Photo by JVL Photography.
“It’s got to be my favourite [Shakespeare play] at this point,” says Abbey. “I don't understand why it's so rarely done. It’s listed as a ‘problem play,’ and I see that, but I have had such beautiful experiences with it throughout my life… I think it has the ability to unite audience and cast in a deeply human event.”