Carthage takes its annual trip to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival
“I’d make a journey twice as far, to enjoy
A second night of such sweet shortness …” (Cymbeline)
In Stratford, the group stayed at the quaint, friendly Queen’s Inn, and enjoyed two plays a day, as well as local sights and food, a backstage tour, and a visit to the costume warehouse. Shows included Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Love’s Labour’s Lost and The Taming of the Shrew; the musicals The Sound of Music and Carousel; the romantic comedy She Stoops to Conquer ; and a powerful staging of The Diary of Anne Frank. The two theatres, the Avon and the Festival, offered vastly different stage types and sets. The production values and acting were top-notch, as expected at Stratford, where the festival has been going on since 1953. Details such as lighting, live orchestras, and spectacular design were especially memorable.
“I really liked the modern introduction to the play that gave it a fresh start,” said Carthage junior Tessa Sundstrom. “Some of the actors were even in street clothes. While the actors were performing, an unruly audience member kept interrupting the show and yelling at the ushers. It turned out to be part of the play, but gave the audience quite a shock!”
Between plays, Stratford offered great shopping and food, all within walking distance. Rick Bingen ’15, who has been on the trip three times, recommended Boomer’s Gourmet Fries, featured on the TV show “You Gotta Eat This!” There, students feasted on the Canadian dish poutine (fries, gravy, and cheese curds). They walked off the extra calories by strolling along the Avon River, watching the local ducks and swans, to the Festival Theatre.
Jean Preston, director of Carthage’s Writing Center, has attended for many years and used to organize the event.
“It is one of Carthage’s most unique activities in that it brings together all parts of the College community who love Shakespeare and theater,” she says. “Any student, Carthage employee, or graduate may attend. The trip is entirely self-funded. For about $450 (a little more if you want your own room), you get to see six plays and spend two nights in a hotel, with round-trip bus fare. It is only a weekend, but it feels like a vacation.”
The trip was a beautiful but brief one, and many of this year’s participants are already looking forward to returning next year.
