There was some doubt as to whether the annual Stratford pilgrimage would happen this year. So much had already been done in 2008 (moving into condo, cross-(western)-Canada trip, new entertainment system), it seemed a little ... shall we say, “irresponsible”, to spend even more on a weekend Stratford getaway. Then Hamlet called and, like some lovesick Ophelia, I answered. Am I ever glad I did. Thanks to Nish, who planned everything while I was in New York last month, we were able to catch both Hamlet and the final show of Euripides’ “The Trojan Women” while staying at the Ellerby B&B, with the lovely Olive as our host.
Ellerby’s was on the “other” side of the river where, in the last 10 years, we have not ventured once. At only $65/night (including a yummy breakfast, of course), it was quite the steal. We had a great room, intelligent breakfast conversation and a bathroom complete with a claw-footed bathtub. It was about a 10 minute walk from downtown and, at the other end, about 25 minutes from the Festival Theatre. The tickets were only $20/show (thank you, Play On!) and, thankfully, gas prices were low this weekend. At under $100 for the entire trip, I think it would have been irresponsible to not go.
But these are just the numbers.
What makes Stratford such a good time is, foremost, the company. Nish has been my Shakespeare wench for ten years now (with only one year missing in all of that) and I simply cannot imagine anyone else I would rather be with on these trips. When asked on Saturday by my colleagues what play I was seeing, I honestly replied, “I dunno.” Is there anyone else whom I would trust to not only choose the plays but also the seats so blindly? No. Not a single person. I know when Nish chooses a B&B, it’s both cheap and convenient; I know she’ll choose plays I too would see. (Music Man? I think not.) That’s why vacations with this girl are the most relaxing things I could possibly spend my time doing. Seriously. It’s so reassuring to know that if one were to, say, forget one’s pants, it’s not a big deal.
Secondly, I love the Stratford Festival. It’s in a great little town: not trying too hard to be “small town Ontario” (I’m looking at you NOTL); quaint enough to inspire dreams of semi-retirement and opening B&B’s of my own; full of amusing past-times, like dragon boat events and the Book Vault. The people are friendly but unobtrusive; the “locals” aren’t snotty. The plays are always of a quality I can be sure will be worth the price of admission (with few few exceptions). Plus, since we’ve been going so often, it’s a hassle-free trip, devoid of Mapquest directions and new-place anxieties. Amusing aside: during the Breast Cancer marathon, Nish says “isn’t it so different from Toronto where they close down the Gardiner? They don’t even block the street for the runners. Stratford drivers are so safe—” and then, about two metres in front of us, this pickup truck does a most illegal U-turn, right up past the grassy boulevard onto the sidewalk, almost running over a runner, who has to quickly run up onto the curb to avoid a collision. Almost in tears from laughing so hard, we decide that it’s a tourist.
Finally, let’s face it, it’s all about the plays. I’m a HUGE Willy Shakes fan to begin with and a whole festival just dedicated to him is my version of literary heaven. While there have been some letdowns (2004’s (?) Lady Macbeth had this quaver in her voice that was just terrible), my experience there has been full of memorable performances (2007’s eponymous King Lear and Othello’s Iago, are still fresh in my mind, though Richard III and Henry V were quite good as well; this year’s Hecuba is definitely up there as well). The venues are all pretty good, especially now that we know the sightlines so well in all of them. I’m always struck by the creativity of the set designers and the versatility of theses stages. This year was no disappointment: Hamlet was its usual quotable brilliance, with a notable Ophelia and Polonius; but it was the Greek tragedy that moved me to tears twice and, after ending, left me hanging for more.
I think I shall propose a Book Club by the Avon sometime in ’09. I think if we take all three rooms in Ellerby’s (comfortably 6 people), it would be a fun time had by all. And no one, I’m pretty sure, will lean over and ask, just as the play is starting: “So... what’s this all about?”
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