The Citizen, 2003-12-17, Page 27THE CITIZEN. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2003. PAGE 27.
Entertainment Leisure___
Stratford Festival finishes 51st season
The Stratford Festival of Canada
has finished its 51st season in 2003
with a modest surplus and attendance
on track with budgeted projections.
“In the lace of an extremely
challenging series of events. Festival
staff and artists acted effectively to
ensure a successful financial and
artistic season." said executive
director Antoni Cimolino. “We
cannot sufficiently thank our donors
for increasing their levels of giving to
Stratford and our loyal members who
came to our theatres in greater
numbers than before. Our playbill,
based upon Greek tales told and
retold, featured many seldom-
performed works that spanned 2.500
years of playwrighting - it was a
playbill filled with artistic and
financial challenges
'We had originally budgeted our
attendance at 610.000 tor the year"
Mr. Cimolino says. “The tact we
came very close to this target -
608.080 - and balanced our books in
such a year is an incredible
achievement and a credit both to
artistic director Richard Monette’s
programming and to the entire artistic
and administrative company at the
Festival.”
This is the fourth year in a row the
Festival's overall paid attendance has
exceeded 600.000 tickets.
The Festival, like many attractions
in Ontario, saw ticket sales for shows
throughout the season dip in April
and again in June, coinciding with
SARS outbreaks in Toronto hospitals
Earlier in (he year. U.S. group sales
slowed due to concern over the war in
Iraq. As well, the Festival had to
cancel six performances in August,
including three at the Festival
Theatre, related to the widespread
power outage.
Despite the overall downturn of 18
percent in tourism activity in Ontario
in the past six months, the Festival
balanced the books on the 2003
season with a $303,000 surplus on a
$51 -million budget.
In the spring, after the initial impact
of SARS was felt at the theatre's box
office, the Festival’s staff cut
expenses where possible and began to
plan ways of recovering losses in
ticket sales. Thanks to a $400,000
grant from the Government of
Ontario, the Festival was able to
embark on a targeted mail promotion
and advertising campaign in Ontario
and Michigan that launched in late
June.
“I am pleased we are able to put our
modest surplus into an unrestricted
fund, to be used tor luture artistic
initiatives.” Cimolino says.
Don Woodley, chair of the
Festival's board of governors, says
that without crucial support from
individual donors, corporations and
government arts councils, (he Festival
could not offer the broad range of
theatre it does - from Shakespeare to
new Canadian plays - at such high
production standards. “This year, we
raised $6.9 million from corporate
and individual donors, in addition to
grants from the Ontario Arts Council,
the Canada Council for the Arts,
Canadian Heritage and the Ontario
Tourism Marketing Partnership.” said
Woodley. “Without our partners, the
Stratford Festival would never be
able to produce theatre of su,ch
outstanding quality without incurring
a deficit"
As well. Woodley says, the
Festival's For All Time Endowment
Foundation has reached $31 million
and this year generated a
disbursement of $630,000 toward
designated projects - such as the
Festival’s Conservatory for Classical
Theatre Training.
While overall attendance was down
from the past three seasons, with the
most notable decline in the category
of first-time U.S. visitors, there was
encouraging growth in key areas that
bodes well for the Festival's luture,
Cimolino says, ticket sales to the
Festival's Members in Canada
increased by 15 per cent over the
record 2002 year, while sales of
tickets on-line increased by 18 per
cent.
“As well. 13 per cent of our
audience is under the age of IS.
Through our education programmes
and Family Experience programme,
we are committed to reaching out to
young audiences, providing them
with affordable tickets and
introducing them to the joy of live
theatre and the magical plays of
William Shakespeare.”
WEDDINGS
WEDDINGS
Performed - your location or our
iindoor or outdoor chapel
(non-denominational)
For brochure call
REV. CHRIS MORGAN
_L FAITHS PASTORAL CENTF
BENMILLER, 524-5724
Christmas reading
The spirit ot Christmas was brought to life through a dramatized reading of Charles Dickens’
A Christmas Caro/hosted by St. John’s Anglican Church in Brussels and CBC Radio. Among
the readers were Kelly McIntosh, Blyth actor, Carol Mitchell, Huron MPP, Paul Steckle, MP,
John Spencer, retired priest and Judy Maddren of CBC Radio. Proceeds of the event went
towards Kids Corner summer program, Brussels Public Library and St. John’s Food
Cupboard. From left; Steckle, Mitchell, Spencer, McIntosh and Maddren. (Elyse De Bruyn photo)
Can 1-866-734-9425
or visit www.medicalert.ca
Medic Alert
Lets You Live Life.
TVThe Twins are 55 on Dec. 19jth
Pound Foolish
Healthwise
Carrying extra weight is hard
on your body. Lose those extra
pounds - eat sensibly, be
physically active and
consult your doctor.
PdrmciPdcnon P
vavw participaction.com
Lorraine Hallahan Linda Kieffer
The Blyth Inn i
Coming Events
Dec. 19th ~ Movie Blues
back by popular demand
Dec. 20th - Karaoke
Dec. 26th
Almost Hip - Check out this
Tragically Hip tribute band, the
longest running in Canada!
Jan. 16th - Firetrain -
Classic Rock
Jan. 30th ~ Eye Rhym -
Modern Rock
-1 Kick it L
with the
Almost Hip
at the Boxing
Day Bash i
7 \ -
19
New Year's
Eve
Dec. 31st ~ Dance the
night away to our DJ
Party favours and
late lunch included
~ $25./ticket
Limited Tickets!!!
Christmas Hours
Dec. 24 -
Dec. 25 -
Dec. 26 -
Dec. 31 -
Jan. 1 -
Fri., Dec
11:30-2:30
Sun., Dec. 21
11:00-2:00 & 5:00-8:00
I
Closed at 9 pm
Closed
Open at 8 pm
Open til 3 am (limited tickets)
Closed
THLIRS. - Wing Night
SAT. - Prime Rib
Call for reservations
523-9381