The
Stratford Festival, formerly known as the
Stratford Shakespearean,
Shakespeare Festival and then
Stratford Shakespeare Festival, is an internationally recognized annual repertory theatre festival running from April to October in the
Canadian city of
Stratford,
Ontario. Theatre-goers,
actors, and
playwrights flock to Stratford to take part — many of the greatest Canadian, British, and
American actors play roles at the Stratford festival. It was one of the first and is still one of the most prominent
arts festivals in Canada and is recognized worldwide for its productions of
Shakespearean plays.