Stratford Festival Announces Casting for 2025 Season – front mezz junkies, Theater News

Stratford Festival announces 2025 casting and creative teams

With just one month of performances left in the 2024 season, the Stratford Festival has its preparations for 2025 in full swing. So don’t waste any time and get yourself over to Stratford, Ontario, and catch a few of these magnificent shows, especially the phenomenal Something Rotten!, the hilarious London Assurance, the gorgeously revived La Cage Aux Folles, or the exceptional Salesman in China. Today Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino announces preliminary casting for the 11 productions of the coming season.

“The Stratford Festival 2025 season features a delicious banquet of feasts. How could we possibly find the variety and depth of skills needed to ensure its success? Well, with this extraordinary company of players that question has been answered with gusto,” Cimolino says. “Here are brilliant talents, some of the most promising and accomplished actors of our time, who look forward to sharing their work with you next season at the Stratford Festival.”

Maev Beaty, Tim Campbell, Shakura Dickson, Sara Farb, Aaron Krohn, Yanna McIntosh, Tom Rooney, and Liam Tobin are among those returning to key roles after some time away from the Stratford stages.

Returning from this season to key roles are Graham Abbey, Christopher Allen, Celia Aloma, Sean Arbuckle, Dan Chameroy, Laura Condlln, Sarah Dodd, Austin Eckert, Jesse Gervais, Jonathan Goad, Jordin Hall, Jessica B. Hill, Sara-Jeanne Hosie, Jenna-Lee Hyde, Derek Kwan, Josue Laboucane, Jeff Lillico, Julie Lumsden, Amanda Lundgren, Tom McCamus, Seana McKenna, Marissa Orjalo, Lucy Peacock, Irene Poole, Jennifer Rider-Shaw, Steve Ross, André Sills, Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane, Sara Topham, Mark Uhre, Rylan Wilkie, and Geraint Wyn Davies. 

The season welcomes several actors who will make their Stratford debut in key roles in 2025, including Harper Rae Asch, Yoshie Bancroft, Ashley Dingwell, Michele Shuster, Caroline Toal, and Nadine Villasin.

Rounding out the 2025 company are Cydnee Abbott, Eric Abel, Gabriel Antonacci, Carla Bennett, Devon Michael Brown, Andrew Chown, Jarret Cody, David Collins, Aidan deSalaiz, Christine Desjardins, Thomas Duplessie, Justin Eddy, Ijeoma Emesowum, Katarina Fiallos, Henry Firmston, Jacklyn Francis, June Fukumura, Michelle Giroux, Jordan Goodridge, Steven Hao, Manami Hara, Evonny Harker, Harmony Holder, Isla Horner, Aisha Jarvis, Bonnie Jordan, Matthew Kabwe, Hiro Kanagawa, Alex Kelly, John Kirkpatrick, Bethany Kovarik, Kelsey Lacombe, Fae Lewis, Allison Lynch, Caitlyn MacInnis, Gracie Mack, Anthony MacPherson, Jordan Mah, Silvae Mercedes, Jamie Murray, Sofia Otta, Doug Oyama, Olivia Padfield, Anthony Palermo, Stephen Patterson, Joe Perry, Ali Powell, Jessica Reddy, Jason Sermonia, Makambe K. Simamba, Maria Vacratsis, Emilio Vieira, Addison Wagman, and Dakota Jamal Wellman.

Programmed around the theme of Apollo, Venus, Mars: Reflections on Harmony, Love, and War, next season features As You Like It; Annie; Sense and Sensibility; Dangerous Liaisons; Macbeth; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Anne of Green Gables; The Winter’s Tale; Forgiveness; Ransacking Troy; and The Art of War.

Tickets for the 2025 season will go on sale to Members of the Stratford Festival beginning November 10 and to the public on December 16.

FESTIVAL THEATRE

Support for the 2025 season of the Festival Theatre is generously provided by Daniel Bernstein & Claire Foerster

As You Like It

By William Shakespeare

Director Chris Abraham’s production of Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy As You Like It will feature Christopher Allen as Orlando, Sara Farb as Rosalind, and Aaron Krohn as Jaques with Sean Arbuckle as Duke Frederick, Seana McKenna as Duchess Senior, and Steve Ross as Touchstone.

The cast also includes Celia Aloma, Gabriel Antonacci, Andrew Chown (Oliver), Ashley Dingwell, Thomas Duplessie, Jacklyn Francis, Jesse Gervais, Jessica B. Hill (Phoebe), Hiro Kanagawa (Corin), Jeff Lillico (Le Beau), Silvae Mercedes(Audrey), Joe Perry, Makambe K. Simamba (Celia), Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane and Nadine Villasin.

In addition to Chris Abraham, the creative team includes Set and Costume Designer Julie Fox, Lighting Designer Imogen Wilson, Composer Ron Sexsmith, and Composer and Sound Designer Thomas Ryder Payne.

In a world rocked by political upheaval, a Duchess’ daughter, Rosalind, faces exile from the city to the countryside. She flees with her cousin Celia, and the pair discover new identities and the prospect of new love, even as they confront their deepest fears.

Annie

Book By Thomas Meehan; Music by Charles Strouse; Lyrics by Martin Charnin

This iconic family-friendly musical will hit the Stratford stage in a production directed and choreographed by Donna Feore, featuring Harper Rae Asch in the title role, Dan Chameroy as Oliver Warbucks, and Laura Condlln as Miss Hannigan, with Amanda Lundgren as Lily St. Regis, Jennifer Rider-Shaw as Grace Farrell, and Mark Uhre as Rooster.

The cast will also include Cydnee Abbott (Pepper), Eric Abel, Carla Bennett, Devon Michael Brown, Jarret Cody, Christine Desjardins, Henry Firmston (Bert Healy), Jordan Goodridge, Evonny Harker, Harmony Holder (Molly), Isla Horner (July), Sara-Jeanne Hosie (Mrs. Pugh), Bonnie Jordan, Alex Kelly, Bethany Kovarik, Derek Kwan (Drake), Fae Lewis, Gracie Mack, Anthony MacPherson, Jordan Mah, Jamie Murray (Star-To-Be), Sofia Otta (Duffy), Olivia Padfield, Stephen Patterson (President Roosevelt, Lt. Ward), Ali Powell, Jessica Reddy (Kate), Jason Sermonia, Michele Shuster and Addison Wagman (Tessie).

In addition to Donna Feore, the creative team includes Music Director Laura Burton, Set and Costume Designer Michael Gianfrancesco, Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell and Sound Designer Haley Parcher.

Annie, winner of seven Tony Awards, is one of the most popular musicals ever written. It’s filled with memorable and oh-so-hummable songs, including “Tomorrow,” “Hard Knock Life” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.” It tells the story of a loveable orphan, Annie, who is stuck in an orphanage run by the dreadful Miss Hannigan. The child dreams of being reunited with her parents, but instead finds happiness with the wealthy Daddy Warbucks, who becomes not only her protector but also her hero, finding wealthy homes for all her friends at the orphanage.

Sense and Sensibility

By Kate Hamill

Based on the novel by Jane Austen

Director Daryl Cloran’s production of Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved classic Sense and Sensibility will feature Jessica B. Hill as Elinor Dashwood and Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane as Marianne Dashwood, with Andrew Chown as John Willoughby and Seana McKenna as Mrs. Jennings.

The cast will also include Christopher Allen, Celia Aloma, Ashley Dingwell, Thomas Duplessie (Edward Ferrars, Robert Ferrars), Sara Farb (Fanny), Jesse Gervais, Jordin Hall, Jenna-Lee Hyde, Aaron Krohn, Josue Laboucane, Julie Lumsden, Steve Ross (Sir John Middleton), Makambe K. Simamba, Caroline Toal, and Rylan Wilkie.

In addition to Daryl Cloran, the creative team includes Set and Costume Designer Dana Osborne, Lighting Designer Jareth Li, and Composer and Sound Designer Jonathan Lewis.

The play follows the Dashwood sisters, who have been left destitute after their father’s sudden death. The girls find romance—and suffer heartbreak—as they try to regain social stability for their family in gossipy 18th-century England.

Dangerous Liaisons

By Christopher Hampton

From the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos

Directed by Esther Jun, the romantic drama Dangerous Liaisons will feature Celia Aloma as La Presidente de Tourvel, Jesse Gervais as Le Vicomte de Valmont, Jessica B. Hill as La Marquise de Merteuil, with Ashley Dingwell as Cecile Volanges, Seana McKenna as Madame de Rosemonde, and Nadine Villasin as Madame de Volanges.

The cast will also include Christopher Allen, Gabriel Antonacci, Thomas Duplessie (Azolan), Sara Farb (Emilie), Jacklyn Francis, Silvae Mercedes, Joe Perry, Makambe K. Simamba and Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane.

In addition to Esther Jun, the creative team includes Set Designer Teresa Przybylski, Costume Designer Nadine Grant, Lighting Designer Arun Srinivasan, and Composer and Sound Designer Richard Feren.

In pre-Revolutionary France, the Marquise de Merteuil and her sometime lover the Vicomte de Valmont amuse themselves by plotting the seduction of two women of virtue: the virginal Cecile Volanges and the respectably married Madame de Tourvel. But as their cynical game proceeds, the players’ motives grow deeper – and more deadly.

AVON THEATRE

Macbeth

By William Shakespeare

Created in collaboration with Ex Machina

Shakespeare’s tragedy of unchecked corruption and heinous self-interest, Macbeth, directed by Robert Lepage, will feature Tom McCamus as Macbeth, and Lucy Peacock as Lady Macbeth, with Graham Abbey as Banquo and Tom Rooney as Macduff.

The cast will also include David Collins (Duncan), Aidan deSalaiz (Witch 1), Austin Eckert (Malcolm), Justin Eddy (Witch 2), Michelle Giroux, Matthew Kabwe (Seyton), John Kirkpatrick, Anthony Palermo (Witch 3), André Sills (Ross), Maria Vacratsis (Porter), Emilio Vieira (Lennox) and Dakota Jamal Wellman (Murderer).

In addition to Robert Lepage, the creative team includes Set Designer Ariane Sauvé, Costume Designer Michael Gianfrancesco, Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell, and Composer and Sound Designer John Gzowski.

Obsessed by omens and urged on by his wife’s ambition, a heroic figure takes his destiny into his own hands. He murders his way to the top, only to find himself plunged ever deeper into tyranny as he battles vainly against enemies, real and imagined, from both sides of the grave.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Book by Jeffrey Lane; Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek

Based on the film “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” written by Dale Launer and Stanley Shapiro & Paul Henning

Director Bobby Garcia will direct the musical comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in his Stratford debut featuring Shakura Dickson as Christine Colgate, Jonathan Goad as Lawrence, and Liam Tobin as Freddy Benson, with Sara-Jeanne Hosie as Muriel, Derek Kwan as Andre Thibault and Michele Shuster as Jolene.

The cast also includes Eric Abel, Carla Bennett, Devon Michael Brown, Jarret Cody, Christine Desjardins, Henry Firmston, Jordan Goodridge, Aisha Jarvis, Bonnie Jordan, Alex Kelly, Kelsey Lacombe, Amanda Lundgren, Gracie Mack, Jordan Mah, Jamie Murray, Stephen Patterson, Ali Powell and Jason Sermonia.

In addition to Bobby Garcia, the creative team includes Choreographer Stephanie Graham, Music Director Franklin Brasz, Set Designer Lorenzo Savoini, Costume Designer Sue LePage, Lighting Designer Michael Walton, and Sound Designer Ranil Sonnadara. 

This razzle-dazzle show, set on the French Riviera, features a conman who woos wealthy women and pockets their money to fund a glamorous lifestyle. When a competitor comes to town, they team up to raise the stakes but soon find themselves in unhealthy, though hilarious, competition. A final con – to prove who is the better hustler – sees both men get their just reward.

SCHULICH CHILDREN’S PLAYS

A STRATFORD FESTIVAL COMMISSION

Anne of Green Gables

A new adaptation by Kat Sandler; Based on the novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery

The world première of Kat Sandler’s bold adaptation of the timeless tale Anne of Green Gables, directed by Sandler, will feature Caroline Toal as Anne Shirley with Tim Campbell as Matthew Cuthbert, and Sarah Dodd as Marilla Cuthbert.

The cast includes Yoshie Bancroft, Maev Beaty (Rachel Lynde), Ijeoma Emesowum, Jordin Hall (Gilbert Blythe), Steven Hao (Jane Andrews), Manami Hara, Jenna-Lee Hyde, Josue Laboucane (Moodie Spurgeon), Julie Lumsden (Diana Barry), Allison Lynch, Doug Oyama, Irene Poole, and Rylan Wilkie.

In addition to Director Kat Sandler, the creative team includes Set and Costume Designer Joanna Yu, Lighting designer David Tkach, and Sound Designer Debashis Sinha. 

Anne of Green Gables by Kat Sandler is a bold adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s timeless tale of imagination, resilience, and the transformative power of love. Set in the picturesque village of Avonlea, it follows the adventures of Anne Shirley, an irrepressible orphan with a vivid imagination and an unyielding spirit. 

TOM PATTERSON THEATRE

Support for the 2025 season of the Tom Patterson Theatre is generously provided by BMO Financial Group

The Winter’s Tale

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino, this production of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale will feature Graham Abbey as Leontes, Yanna McIntosh as Paulina and Sara Topham as Hermione, with Austin Eckert as Florizel, Tom McCamus as Old Shepherd, Marissa Orjalo as Perdita, Tom Rooney as Camillo, André Sills as Polixenes, and Geraint Wyn Davies as Autolycus.

The cast will also include David Collins (Antigonus), Aidan deSalaiz, Justin Eddy, Katarina Fiallos (Mopsa), Michelle Giroux (Emilia), Matthew Kabwe, John Kirkpatrick, Caitlyn MacInnis (Dorcas), Anthony Palermo, Lucy Peacock(Time), Maria Vacratsis, Emilio Vieira, and Dakota Jamal Wellman.

In addition to Antoni Cimolino, the creative team includes Set Designer Doug Paraschuk, Costume Designer Francesca Callow, Lighting Designer Kaileigh Krysztofiak, Composer Wayne Kelso, and Sound Designer Ranil Sonnadara.

King Leontes, obsessed by suspicions of infidelity, puts his pregnant wife, Hermione, on trial for her life. He comes to his senses only when his actions have cost him both his wife and children. But true love can work miracles and even the bitterest winter contains the seeds of spring.

Forgiveness

By Hiro Kanagawa

Adapted from the book “Forgiveness: A Gift From My Grandparents” by Mark Sakamoto

Director Stafford Arima’s production of Forgiveness will feature Yoshie Bancroft as Mitsue and Jeff Lillico as Ralph.

The cast also includes Gabriel Antonacci (Cooper), Sean Arbuckle (Ralph’s Father), Tim Campbell, Jacklyn Francis(Phyllis, Ralph’s Mother), June Fukumura (Miyoko, Mrs. Yamamoto), Steven Hao (Ron, Ichiro), Manami Hara (Tomi), Hiro Kanagawa (Yosuke, Kato), Allison Lynch (Diane, Socialite), Silvae Mercedes, Doug Oyama (Stan, Pat), Joe Perry, and Nadine Villasin.

In addition to Stafford Arima, the creative team features Set and Costume Designer Lorenzo Savoini, Lighting Designer Kaileigh Krysztofiak, Projection Designer Sammy Chien (Chimerik), Composer Allison Lynch, and Sound Designer Olivia Wheeler.

Adapted from the acclaimed 2018 Canada Reads-winning memoir by Mark Sakamoto, this moving and heartfelt play by Hiro Kanagawa tells the story of Sakamoto’s grandparents and their harrowing experiences during the Second World War. In the face of tremendous adversity and horrific transgressions, they chose not to live a life of anger but rather to embrace and teach forgiveness.

A STRATFORD FESTIVAL COMMISSION

Ransacking Troy

By Erin Shields

The world première of Erin Shields’ Ransacking Troy, directed by Jackie Maxwell, will feature Maev Beaty as Penelope and Odysseus and Irene Poole as Clytemnestra, Iphigenia, and Agamemnon with Yanna McIntosh as Hecuba and Sara Topham as Aegiale and Helen. 

The cast also includes Sarah Dodd (Gaylax, Anax, Andromache), Ijeoma Emesowum (Psamathe, Briseis), Katarina Fiallos, Caitlyn MacInnis (Cur, Hecamede, Polyxena), and Marissa Orjalo.

In addition to Jackie Maxwell, the creative team includes Choreographer Esie Mensah, Set and Costume Designer Judith Bowden, Lighting Designer Michael Walton, Composer Deanna Choi, and Sound Designer Thomas Ryder Payne.

Ransacking Troy is a funny, compelling, and thought-provoking adaptation of the Trojan War narrative through the lens of its female players. After nine and a half years of war, Penelope is tired of waiting for Odysseus to return home, so she gathers a band of Greek women to set sail for Troy. An epic journey ensues as the women struggle to bring about a peaceful end to the war and imagine the future they want to create when it’s through.

STUDIO THEATRE

The Art of War

By Yvette Nolan

Keith Barker’s production of The Art Of War features Josue Laboucane as Nick with Jordin Hall as Newman, Jenna-Lee Hyde as Madga, Julie Lumsden as Heather and Eva, and Rylan Wilkie as Dennis, and Matthaeus.

In addition to Keith Barker, the creative team includes Set Designer Teresa Przybylski, Costume Designer Patricia Reilly, Lighting Designer Logan Cracknell, and Sound Designer Adam Campbell.

The Art of War by Yvette Nolan is a dramatic examination of the role of artists in war and in peace. During the Second World War, Nick is sent to the front lines as an embedded painter. What he witnesses, what he paints, will transform not only him, but Canada’s idea of itself.

The Stratford Festival’s 2025 season begins on April 19 and runs until November 2. For more information: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/