Christopher Plummer Films and Interviews Coming To Stratfest@Home

Academy Award-winner Christopher Plummer is the focus of the Stratford Festival's next two Thursday night viewing parties, with two remarkable performances and two exclusive new pre-show interviews - all being added this month to Stratfest@Home, the Festival's new subscription streaming service.

"Christopher Plummer is perfect casting for both Prospero and Julius Caesar," says Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino. "As a theatre artist he has the brilliance, courage and strategic mind of Caesar. And anyone who has been fortunate enough to see him on stage will know he creates magic; he is a wizard like Prospero. For so many years the Festival has been blessed by his talent and unforgettable presence. From all of us: thank you, Chris!"

Thursday, December 3, sees the re-release of Shakespeare's The Tempest, directed by former artistic director Des McAnuff in 2010 and featuring Plummer as Prospero. Accompanying it is a brand new Stratfest@Home interview in which the iconic actor and Tony Award-winning director chat about bringing The Tempest to the stage and then on to the screen.

Thursday, December 10, brings the 2008 production of George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra, also directed by McAnuff and featuring Plummer as Julius Caesar and Nikki M. James as a young Cleopatra. James went on to win the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for The Book of Mormon. An exclusive new interview with James and McAnuff is also being added to Stratfest@Home this month.

Both films were produced by Barry Avrich and Melbar Entertainment Group. They can be watched on the Stratford Festival's Youtube channel, beginning with the pre-show interview at 6:30 p.m. ET on December 3 and 10 respectively. The films remain available for free for 36 hours and are a featured part of Stratfest@Home.

For just $10 a month, Stratfest@Home offers a rich mine of content, including more than 20 Stratford Festival films, insightful interviews, and great new original content, including:

· Days of Confinement, a specially commissioned translation of Wajdi Mouawad's Journal de confinement by Linda Gaboriau, presented in audio format by Antoine Yared and directed by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino.

· Leer Estates, a melodramatic, nail-biting, hair-swooshing, double-take mini soap opera of Dan Chameroy's devising, in which he gives new meaning to "tour de force."

· Stratford Festival Ghost Tours, in which Roy Lewis shares spectral stories as he takes you behind the ghost light and through the streets of Stratford.

· The Early Modern Cooking Show, offering the classics through a culinary lens with Stratford Festival executive chef Kendrick Prins and actors Qasim Khan, Alexis Gordon, Jessica B. Hill and Kevin Kruchkywich.

· And Introducing, with host Beck Lloyd, who interviews a new generation of classical actors, including Brefny Caribou, Colton Curtis, Mikaela Davies, Déjah Dixon-Green, Farhang Ghajar, Alexandra Lainfiesta, Jordan Mah and Jake Runeckles.

Coming in the new year:

· Up Close and Musical, a series of moving and entertaining concerts with some of the Festival's most beloved musical stars and emerging musical artists, including Robert Ball, Dan Chameroy, Cynthia Dale, Alexis Gordon, Chilina Kennedy, Robert Markus, Marcus Nance, Vanessa Sears and Kimberly-Ann Truong.

· Undiscovered Sonnets, a clever twist on a game show in which two people in love share their story and three "sonneteers" compete to win their hearts with a perfect poem created on the spot. Created by Rebecca Northan with sonneteers Raoul Bhaneja, Ashley Botting, Ijeoma Emesowum, Bruce Horak, Kevin Kruchkywich, Ellis Lalonde and Lee Smart. (There will be a free sneak peek during the watch party on December 17!)

· Viral Transmissions, a series of artistic experiments from a number of theatre makers commissioned through the Festival's Lab. These pieces experiment with performance on a digital platform in a variety of ways, including through illustration, poetry, audio, music, Zoom, dialogue and interviews. Artists include Carmen Aguirre, Keith Barker, Jody Chan, Jeff Ho, Marcia Johnson, Davis Plett & Gislina Patterson, Christine Quintana, Joseph Recinos, Andrea Scott and Norman Yeung.

To browse the subscription platform and subscribe, visit www.stratfordfestival.ca/AtHome.

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