arts & entertainment
O
Cor
og ram s
Scott Wentworth is
Tevye in Fiddler on
the Roof.
Stratford's 2013
season — including the
Jewish-themed musical
Fiddler on the Roof
and Shakespeare's The
Merchant of Venice
— offers a roster of
productions and special
events exploring issues
of tolerance.
I
Suzanne Chessler
Contributing Writer
D
ana Osborne defines herself as
agnostic, but she's learning a lot
about Judaism.
Osborne, without Jewish heritage, is cos-
tume designer for Fiddler on the Roof at this
year's Stratford Festival of Canada and has
been participating in special programs with
other company members to bring authentic-
ity to the 12 plays scheduled April-October
(see schedule of plays on this page).
The clothing specialist, beyond read-
ing and having access to the expertise
of a Jewish studies professor, attended
a Stratford company seder and Chabad
Sabbath services to connect with the tradi-
tions captured in Fiddler songs by Sheldon
Harnick and Jerry Bock.
While audiences ultimately will benefit
from those behind-the-scenes experiences,
they also can go beyond the productions
by attending events that are part of "The
Forum:' a festival within the festival.
Merchant of Venice, in a production set
Brian Bedford portrays Shylock in The
Sara Farb takes the role of Shylock's
daughter, Jessica, in The Merchant of
in the 1930s.
Venice.
The Forum offers additional performanc-
es, films and discussions to enrich connec-
tions to each show (see accompanying story
on the following page).
Going along with Fiddler will be Israeli
folk dancing sessions that get audiences on
their feet (June 23 and Sept 21) and a lecture
by journalism scholar Alisa Solomon, who
will discuss "Fiddler's Fortunes: The Mighty
Afterlife of a Broadway Musical" (Sept. 21).
"I brought my husband and daughter to
the seder, and we thoroughly enjoyed the
sense of community we felt," says Osborne,
who has taught costuming workshops at the
University of Michigan. "The singing had an
incredible draw and staying power:'
Osborne, in her 13th year at Stratford,
added her own stylistic touches to the
outfits after studying clothing pictured in
the book Jewish World of Yesterday, which
showed Polish and Russian wear between
1860 and 1938, a period depicted in the
acclaimed musical.
"I layered textures and fabric prints to
bring more life and musicality to the perfor-
Schedule Of Plays
T
he plays listed below make up
the theater season of this year's
Stratford Festival of Canada. For
full information on productions, sup-
plemental events, tickets and lodging,
go to www.stratfordfestival.ca , or call
(800) 567-1600.
In Mary Stuart, Jewish actor Ian Lake
plays a Protestant young man who
converts to Catholicism.
Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward:
May 16-Oct. 20.
Measure for Measure by William
Shakespeare: May 18-Sept. 21.
The Three Musketeers by Peter Raby:
May 18-Oct. 19.
Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett:
(book), Jerry Bock (music) and
Sheldon Harnick (lyricist):
April 23-Oct. 20.
June 13-Sept. 20.
Taking Shakespeare by John Murrell:
July 13-Sept. 22.
Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare: May 1-Oct. 19.
The Thrill by Judith Thompson:
July 28-Sept. 22.
Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller,
adapted by Peter Oswald:
May 3-Sept. 21.
The Merchant of Venice by William
Shakespeare: July 30-Oct. 18.
The Who's Tommy by Pete
Townshend: May 4-Oct. 19.
Othello by William Shakespeare:
Aug. 4-Oct. 19.
❑
Plays on page 62
See related story on page 58.
JN
April 18 • 2013
57