JUNE 8 • 2023 | 51

and played husband and wife for the 
rom-com.”

JUDAISM AND GARDENING
Orenstein, who has a small 
Jewish family, has appreciated the 
opportunity to take on roles in plays 
that represent aspects of her religion. 
She has appeared in other theaters 
with My Name Is Asher Lev and Indecent. 
“Every year tends to be a slightly 
different schedule,” said Orenstein, 
who regularly attends the Jewish 
and Ashkenaz film festivals. “At 
Stratford, you start in February and 
end in October. I have to admit that if a 
contract comes up that really tweaks my 
interest, I’ll take it.
“I loved doing My Name Is Asher Lev 
at the Harold Green Jewish Theatre in 
Toronto. It’s a very deep Jewish family 
story, and it was a really fulfilling play to 
work on. 
“At the Mirvish Theatre in Toronto, we 
just were doing Indecent by Paula Vogel. 
It has a lot of music and is about how art 
can save the soul of humanity. 
“Audiences are following a troupe 

of actors from Europe to New York 
and back to Europe as the troupe faces 
stumbling blocks and persecutions. It’s 
a story about what was happening with 
the rise of the Nazis.”
While Orenstein was off work because 
of the pandemic, she took hold of her 
favorite off-work activity — gardening. 
In addition to taking care of her own 
yard, she helped older neighbors with 
theirs in another pursuit acquired from 
her mother. 
“In different productions and different 
decades of life as an artist, I find 
different perspectives of what it means 

to be on stage,” Orenstein said. “It’s so 
deep in my bones now that at a personal 
level I don’t have to work as hard as I did 
when I was younger. 
“I’m constantly reminded that it’s such 
a communal act for people to come to 
the theater. Whether it’s a light comedy 
or heavy drama, there is nothing like the 
magic of an audience sitting in the house 
with you and going through the story 
together. 
“You can feel that bonding with 
strangers, and that’s what I’m strongly 
aware of right now. I can say audiences 
will like this year’s shows at Stratford.” 

This season’s plays and their dates 
are listed below. To get tickets and 
information about the Stratford Festival 
in Ontario, call (800) 567-1600 or visit 
stratfordfestival.ca. 

Casey and Diana: through June 17 

Richard II: through Sept. 28

Grand Magic: through Sept. 29

Much Ado About Nothing: through Oct. 27

Rent: through Oct. 28

Monty Python’s Spamalot: through Oct. 28

King Lear: through Oct. 29

A Wrinkle in Time: through Oct. 29

Wedding Band: June 20-Oct. 1

Women of the Fur Trade: July 8-30

Frankenstein Revived: Aug. 6-Oct. 28

Les Belles Soeurs: Aug. 8-Oct. 28

Love’s Labour’s Lost: Aug. 23-Oct. 1

Goblin: Macbeth: Oct. 12-28

PHOTOS BY DAVID HOU

Sarah Orenstein 
as Zaira Marvuglia 
with members of 
the company of 
Grand Magic at the 
Stratford Festival 
through Sept. 29

DETAILS

