Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario … Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell today announced the principal casting and creative teams for the Shaw Festival’s 2009 season. The 2009 playbill includes full productions of each play in Noël Coward’s Tonight at 8:30, a celebrated collection of ten brilliant short plays brought to life on all three of the Festival’s stages. A world premiere, this marks the first time all ten plays have been presented together in repertory theatre history. On August 8, 29 and September 19 The Shaw presents all ten plays in one day, an event appropriately named "Mad Dogs and Englishmen". The season also includes Bernard Shaw’s The Devil’s Disciple and In Good King Charles’s Golden Days, a limited run of John Osborne’s The Entertainer in our new Studio Theatre, four additional full productions, and the popular reading series of contemporary Shavian writers. The season runs from April 1 to November 1 in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The Shaw Festival welcomes back Company members Michael Ball, Neil Barclay, Donna Belleville, Andrew Bunker, Fiona Byrne, Benedict Campbell, Krista Colosimo, Nicolá Correia-Damude, Sharry Flett, Patrick Galligan, Mary Haney, Deborah Hay, Patty Jamieson, David Jansen, Gabrielle Jones, Claire Jullien, Lorne Kennedy, Peter Krantz, Thom Marriott, Julie Martell, Marla McLean, Peter Millard, Moya O’Connell, Laurie Paton, Gray Powell, Ric Reid, David Schurmann, Goldie Semple, Graeme Somerville, Jay Turvey, Mark Uhre and Jenny L. Wright. In keeping with the Festival’s emphasis on nurturing the careers of emerging theatre artists, several new members of the Company return in featured roles in 2009, including Kawa Ada, Beryl Bain, Lisa Codrington, Billy Lake, Ali Momen, Ken James Stewart, Richard Stewart, Jonathan Widdifield and Robin Evan Willis.

Festival favourites Evan Buliung, Patricia Hamilton, Corrine Koslo, Jim Mezon, Steven Sutcliffe and Wendy Thatcher return after absences from The Shaw’s stages. Newcomers Kyle Blair, Saccha Dennis and Kelly Wong are warmly welcomed to The Shaw’s Ensemble.

In making the announcement, Jackie Maxwell noted: "The creativity and multi-faceted character of our world renowned Ensemble of actors, directors and designers allows us to embark with great brio on an ambitious season. The staging of Tonight at 8:30, in particular, requires great versatility in the acting company and innovation and imagination from our directors and designers. I’m thrilled to welcome to The Shaw for the 2009 season – and to welcome back – many of Canada’s top theatre artists."

The Festival is also pleased to announce that Blair Williams will direct the Tonight at 8:30 production Ways of the Heart, which will include The Astonished Heart, Family Album, and Ways and Means, in the Court House Theatre. A veteran Shaw actor, Mr. Williams made his directorial debut at The Shaw in 2008, to great critical and audience acclaim, with Ferenc Molnár’s The President.

Creative teams and primary and secondary castings include the following:

FESTIVAL THEATRE

Tonight at 8:30:
Brief Encounters

(Still Life, We Were Dancing, Hands Across the Sea)
by Noël Coward

Previews – April 11
Opens – May 20
Closes – October 24

Sponsored by: CIBC World Markets

Directed by Jackie Maxwell, designed by William Schmuck, lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte, original music and sound design by John Gzowski, video designed by Adam Larsen, choreography by Valerie Moore

Featuring Deborah Hay and Patrick Galligan, Corrine Koslo and Thom Marriott, with Krista Colosimo, Gray Powell and Goldie Semple.


Born Yesterday
by Garson Kanin

Previews – May 5
Opens – May 23
Closes – November 1

Sponsored by: Sun Life Financial Directed by Neil Munro, designed by Sue LePage, lighting designed by Alan Brodie

Featuring Deborah Hay as Billie Dawn, Thom Marriott as Brock, and Gray Powell as Paul, with Donna Belleville, Patrick Galligan, Lorne Kennedy and Ali Momen.


The Devil’s Disciple
by Bernard Shaw

Previews – June 14
Opens – July 9
Closes – October 11

Directed by Tadeusz Bradecki, designed by Peter Hartwell, lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte

Featuring Evan Buliung as Dick Dudgeon, Fiona Byrne as Judith Anderson, and Peter Krantz as Anthony Anderson, with Donna Belleville, Jim Mezon, Peter Millard, Richard Stewart and Jonathan Widdifield.


COURT HOUSE THEATRE

A Moon for the Misbegotten
by Eugene O’Neill

Previews – April 28
Opens – May 23
Closes – October 9

Sponsored by: Scotiabank Group

Directed by Joseph Ziegler, designed by Christina Poddubiuk, lighting designed by Louise Guinand

Featuring Moya O’Connell as Josie, David Jansen as James Tyrone, and Jim Mezon as Phil.


Albertine in Five Times
by Michel Tremblay, in a new translation by Linda Gaboriau

Previews – June 24
Opens – July 10
Closes – October 10

Directed by Micheline Chevrier, designed by Teresa Przybylski, lighting designed by Ereca Hassell, original music and sound design by Marc Desormeaux

Featuring Nicolá Correia-Damude, Patricia Hamilton, Mary Haney, Marla McLean, Wendy Thatcher and Jenny L. Wright.


Tonight at 8:30:
Ways of the Heart
(The Astonished Heart, Family Album, Ways and Means)
by Noël Coward

Previews – July 21
Opens – August 1
Closes – October 11

Directed by Blair Williams, set designed by Sue LePage, costumes designed by Judith Bowden, lighting designed by Louise Guinand

Featuring Claire Jullien, Laurie Paton and David Jansen, with Michael Ball, Andrew Bunker and Lisa Codrington.


ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE

In Good King Charles’s Golden Days
by Bernard Shaw

Previews – April 17
Opens – May 21
Closes – October 9

Sponsored by Producers Circle

Directed by Eda Holmes, set designed by Camellia Koo, costumes designed by Michael Gianfrancesco, lighting designed by Bonnie Beecher

Featuring Benedict Campbell as Charles II, Graeme Somerville as Isaac Newton, Laurie Paton as Catherine of Braganza and Ric Reid as Fox, with Andrew Bunker, Lisa Codrington, Nicolá Correia-Damude, Mary Haney and Claire Jullien.


Sunday in the Park with George
Book by James Lapine, Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Previews – April 1
Opens – May 22
Closes – November 1

Sponsored by: TD Canada Trust Music

Directed by Alisa Palmer, musical direction by Paul Sportelli, designed by Judith Bowden, lighting designed by Alan Brodie

Featuring Steven Sutcliffe as George/George and Julie Martell as Dot/Marie, with Sharry Flett, Jay Turvey and Mark Uhre.


Tonight at 8:30:
Play, Orchestra, Play
(Red Peppers, Fumed Oak, Shadow Play)
by Noël Coward

Previews – June 9
Opens – July 11
Closes – October 31

Directed by Christopher Newton, musical direction by Paul Sportelli, designed by Cameron Porteous, lighting designed by Louise Guinand

Featuring Patty Jamieson, Jay Turvey and Steven Sutcliffe, with Wendy Thatcher.

Lunchtime:
Tonight at 8:30:
Star Chamber
by Noël Coward

Previews – June 25
Opens – July 11
Closes – October 11

Directed by Kate Lynch, designed by William Schmuck, lighting designed by Kirsten Watt

Featuring Neil Barclay, Evan Buliung, Fiona Byrne, Sharry Flett, Gabrielle Jones, Marla McLean, Mark Uhre and Jenny L. Wright.


In the New STUDIO THEATRE:

The Entertainer
by John Osborne

Previews – July 31
Opens – August 15
Closes – September 20

Sponsored by Paradigm Capital Inc.

Directed by Jackie Maxwell, designed by Peter Hartwell, lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte

Featuring Benedict Campbell as Archie, David Schurmann as Billy Rice, and Corrine Koslo as Phoebe, with Krista Colosimo and Ken James Stewart.


READING SERIES:

August 16 Ourselves Alone, by Anne Devlin, director TBA

August 30 Her Naked Skin, by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, directed by Eda Holmes September 12 Topdog/Underdog, by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Philip Akin

September 27 Maria Severa, by Paul Sportelli and Jay Turvey, directed by Jackie Maxwell

Tickets for the 2009 season go on sale to Shaw Festival Members on November 8 and sales to the general public begin January 5 by mail, fax or online and on January 10 by phone or in person.

Tonight at 8:30 is generously supported by Lombard Insurance, Media Partners CTV and The Globe and Mail, and Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund.