ONTARIO sETs THE STAG E

 

BY MERLE EXIT

heatre festivals are popping
up all over the globe, two of
which are concurring in
Ontario, Canada. Niagara-on-the-
Lake sports the site of the Shaw
Festival and it’s only 15 minutes
from Niagara Falls. And there’s the
Stratford Festival, west of Toronto.
The Shaw Festival, running
through the end of November, is
said to be the only theatre festival in
the world that specializes exclusive-
ly in plays by Bernard Shaw and his
contemporaries along with plays
about the period of Shaw’s life.
There are three theatres in
Niagara—on-the-Lake. The Festival
Theatre features three productions:
Shaw’s comedies You Never Can Tell
and Major Barbara, and the landmark
Broadway Sondheim musical Gypsy.
The Court House Theatre’s three

productions are R.C. Sherriff’s
Journey’s End, a gripping drama
about war and the trenches; The
Autumn Garden, written by Lillian
Hellman, and one of her last plays;
and Ann-Marie MacDonaId’s Belle
Moral: A Natural History, a new

'gothic comedy and Scottish who-

dunit.

The Royal George Theatre, origi-
nally built as a vaudeville house,
offers Somerset Maugham’s The
Constant Wife; Happy End, a Kurt
Weill/Bertolt Brecht musical; William
Inge’s Bus Stop; and Something On
The Side by Georges Feydeau, a '
lunchtime one—act sexual comedy that
takes place at a Paris restaurant.

So much for the theatre portion
of NOTL. The main street has lots of
shops, restaurants and art galleries,
and the areais dotted with loads of
wineries. I didn’t spend much time
walking about “downtown” except
for popping into Poulin Art Gallery
on King Street, a venue for the
French Canadian artiste.

The adventure portion. I drove to
Niagara Falls for Niagara Helicopter
Limited. It’s a Canadian $105 ten-

‘ minute trip. Not only did I not feel

the fear of heights but I sat next to
the pilot looking down upon the area
via a glass bottom window.

Fear of water. Now that was dif-
ferent. Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours
(www.whirlpooljet.com) operates
out of NOTL. You’re on a jet boat
that speeds to 55mph along the lake
with about 40 passengers. The boat

does a sudden 360 degrees, slows up ’

to enter the rapids and then acceler-
ates as water gushes into the boat.
Not a dry body in the audience. I
highly recommend it! .

Totally soaked, I met Gary T.
Burroughs, the Lord Mayor of
NOTL. It turns out that he was the
former owner of the Oban Inn where
I was staying. The inn, located on
Front Street, not only has fabulously
decorated rooms, and a pretty good
restaurant, but a great view of the
lake. It’s also in walking distance of
the festival!

The Shaw Festival is big but
doesn’t top the acclaimed Stratford
Festival (Stratfordfestival.ca), locat-
ed 90 minutes west of Toronto. It is
North America’s largest classical
repertory theatre and Shakespeare is
only a part of it.

This year most performances are
running until the end of October
with the exception of Hello Dolly
with its final show on November 6.
Shows range from Shakespeare’s
The Tempest and As You Like It, and
Hellman’s The [ark to Tennessee
Williams’ Cat On A Hot Tin Roof,
the Noel Coward comedy Fallen
Angels, and Sondheim’s musical
Into The Woods.-And,,that’s just the
two largest “venues. You’ll find a full

schedule on the website.

What’s most interesting about the
shows is that you’ll find members of
one cast on the stage of another
show  but not at the same time.
The acting company is an extremely
talented repertory group trained to
perform several roles.

I stayed at A Hundred Church
Street, a gay owned/operated Bed &
Breakfast (guess what the address
is) whose location allowed the town
to be walkable for me. Tim Dwyer
and Garry McCubbin are the great
hosts and display the rainbow flag.
Excellent breakfast, too.

From here you can walk just a
fewblocks to Avon River. The
Shakespearean Gardens are located
across from the Court House. Folks
who know, frequent the York Street
Kitchen (rainbow window sticker)
not only for the food, but because of
their take-out window: double-fisted
sandwiches-and benches to view the
river.-It’s one of those good food and
inexpensive eateries and even worth
dining in for'th'eir dinner, menu.’

What draws,-people to the river
aretlie Stratford Swans. These vege-
tarians are just adorable and
-approachable as well. On the same
York Street block Distinctively Tea

‘has the largest assortment of South

African Rooibos teas that I’ve ever
come across. The tea comes from a
honey bush and is considered to be
an anti-toxin. They have a mail-

order catalogue. -

Another short walk will take you

 

to Rundles Restaurant at 9 Cobourg
Street serving contemporary haute
cuisine.~They not;QnlyV;9ffer great
food but a cooking‘ schdol" too. My
only beef with themlisthat when I
ordered a South African tea, no one,
including the owner or.chef,.krliew
that it was a1_natura1ly.ide‘caffeinated

-Rooibos tea.

There are two excellent choco-
late places. Rheo Thompson
Candies are located at 55 Albert
Street (888-271-6910). The candies
are made on the premises. Machines
do a lot of the work due to the
demand. But the candy’s centers are
prepared in the “kitchen” as well.
They are noted for their Mint
Smoothies. Those who are addicted
to the mint chocolate Girl Scout
cookies will appreciate them. The
center is not that gooey white stuff,
but a soft chocolate with mint oil.

Derek and Jacqueline Barr
opened Chocolate Barr’s Candies at
136 Ontario Street. Although both
companies use the same bulk choco-

1ate,Barr’s~hand-makesgeach  , '

and has ._a bittersweet chocola that,

A they use”"as“‘welfas"an1excelleii white“ "

chocolate that’s tastier than most.
There are lots of shops (antiques,

books, clothing). For the festival,
check out The Theatre Store for
memorabilia and original costume
sketches. Have fun! 7

‘ Merle Exit is a travel writer based in

Woodhaven,"Néwf York.*jMore articles
on dining and entertainment are on