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Ontario

The Shaw Festival: Extraordinary Theater and Nature in Niagara

Program No. 10396RJ

Enjoy three performances, engaging lectures and backstage access at the renowned Shaw Festival. Then dive deeper into the region’s culture with an icewine tasting at a local vineyard.

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5 days

4 nights

10 meals

4B 3L 3D

Check-in, Welcome Dinner, Orientation

Niagara Falls, ON

Shaw Backstage, Theatre Performance

Niagara Falls, ON

Wardrobe Props, Butterfly Conservatory, Theatre Performance

Niagara Falls, ON

Shaw Seminar, Free Time, Theatre Performance

Niagara Falls, ON

Program Concludes

Niagara Falls, ON

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At a Glance

Renowned for its stylish productions, the Shaw Festival is home to one of North America’s largest repertory companies. Immerse yourself in theater with performances, backstage experiences and lectures by Shaw company members. Round out your stay in Niagara with visits to Niagara Falls, the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory and a local winery for a tasting of Niagara’s renowned icewine.

Activity Level

On Your Feet

Walking up to a few blocks; some stairs.

Best of all, you’ll…

Enjoy private pre-show introductions to each play and post-show chats with cast members.
Complement your in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the Shaw Festival with orchestra seats to three performances.
Experience more than 2,000 free-flying butterflies in a lush, rainforest setting, then walk the footpaths of the Botanical Gardens and one of Canada’s finest collections of ornamental trees, shrubs and roses.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Felicia Cohen

Born and raised in the beautiful city of Montréal, Felicia Cohen pursued her passion for photography. She lived and worked as a photographer in London before settling in Toronto to pursue a career in the travel industry. Her many years spent as a volunteer gallery leader at the Art Gallery of Ontario opened her eyes to a passion for leading and sharing her home city. Felicia is creative and passionate and loves to be an active volunteer for several arts and culture organizations.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Felicia Cohen View biography

Nancy Nicol View biography

Nancy Nicol, a lifelong resident of Niagara, returned to post secondary studies as a mature student. Shortly after completing her diploma in recreation and leisure studies, Nancy began offering Road Scholar programming in the Niagara Region. To meet participant demand, Nancy began offering Shaw Festival programming in 1998. Over the years she has forged a very strong working relationship with the Academy of the Shaw Festival Theatre.

Daniel Hasfurther View biography

Daniel Hasfurther is a long-time transplant from the United States to Canada. Over 20 years he’s experienced the country from coast to coast and settled in the Niagara region, a place he cherishes for its livability. A fan of local theatre, a bon-vivant, with much experience hosting travelers from all over the world, Daniel is an ideal host in a region famous for its wines, food, and unique local culture.

Suggested Reading List (5 books)

Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop

You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

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The Shaw Festival: Extraordinary Theater and Nature in Niagara

Program Number: 10396

Niagara-on-the-Lake: Prettiest Town in Canada: John's Photobook Series

by John Hartig

Niagara-on-the-Lake was voted the prettiest town in Ontario in 1996. This historical site was settled at the close of the American Revolution by Loyalists coming to Upper Canada [Ontario] to start a new life as British subjects. Today, the town is buzzing with many things to see and do for tourists and locals alike. There you can visit Fort George, a fort from the War of 1812, the marina, several world-famous wineries, take in the beauty of the many magnificent homes and attend shows at the Shaw Festival.

Niagara, A History of the Falls

by Pierre Berton

Meticulously researched and entertaining, this history of Niagara Falls captures the sideshow atmosphere of the place with its honky-tonk attractions and daredevil feats. An engrossing social history.

Inventing Niagara

by Ginger Strand

A witty, well-researched tale of the transformation of a natural wonder into an engineering feat, spectacle and monument.

A Year in Niagara: The People and Food of Wine Country

by Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh

This unique book, that is part cookbook, part wine guide, and part travel guide, features over 100 recipes from the author and many of the vineyard workers, chefs, and others who are part of the Niagara community, it leads us on a beautiful exploration of one of Canada's best wine producing regions. Although the focus of the book is wine, the region, the people, and the food are also prominently featured. Each recipe includes a story, seasonal ingredients, and a recommended wine (or sometimes, beer).

The Shaw Festival: The First Fifty Years

by L.W. Conolly

Entering its silver anniversary, the Shaw Festival has seen the curtains open and close on numerous performances. L.W. Conolly, Shaw Festival scholar and Professor of English at Trent University, takes us on an anecdotal journey in The Shaw Festival: The First Fifty Years. In it, he celebrates one of the biggest theatre festivals in Canada, all the while honouring George Bernard Shaw and the men and women who helped make the Court House and Festival Theatres what they are today.

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