Stratford & Michigan: A Cultural Connection Across Borders
- John Sloan III
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
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by John Sloan III
I was a theatre kid. I mean, I was an arts kid in general, but I grew up with a love of theatre. Musicals, drama, comedy – you name it, I loved it. I had the opportunity to participate in youth and community theatre across Metro-Detroit and grew more and more fascinated by the art of live performance.
So when I had the opportunity to travel to the Stratford Festival for the first time, I leapt at the chance. Did I know what “The Stratford Festival” was? Nope. I had never heard of a summerstock, let alone a theatre festival. But I didn’t need to be convinced.
I gladly boarded the long, blue charter bus and rode the two-and-a-half hours across the border, into another country.
That trip changed my life. I’m not exaggerating. We spent the entire weekend immersed in theatre. We saw plays and musicals, met cast members and designers, but most importantly, we talked about the art and how it connected to our lives. We talked about what the shows meant and how we interpreted their importance to society. It was the first time I truly understood the transformative power of theatre – that a single show has the potential to inspire, educate, and entertain.
That weekend in Stratford watered a seed, it jumpstarted a dream. And I’m not the only Michigander with that shared experience.
For decades, Michigan residents have been making the trip across the border to experience the Stratford Festival. It’s a getaway with substance. The Festival offers not only stellar productions but also an educational, communal, and often transformative experience. Whether for a day trip or a long weekend, the journey to Stratford is a pilgrimage many Michigan residents make, year after year.
A Town Like No Other
Stratford isn’t just a place for theatre—it’s a place to breathe. Nestled along the Avon River, the town offers a sense of calm that contrasts beautifully with the intensity of the stage. There’s a rhythm here: grab coffee in a quiet café, see a show, talk about it in the park, then maybe catch another.
It was this atmosphere that kept me coming back, summer after summer, while home from college. I’d assemble a group of friends and we’d sit under the trees, debating the merits of the performances we’d just seen. The Festival wasn’t just entertainment—it was nourishment. It deepened friendships, inspired conversations, and reminded us why art matters.
Culture and Community
The Festival also represents something bigger: a shared cultural thread between Canada and Michigan. The proximity of Stratford to our state has made it a natural extension of our region’s arts landscape.
Schools and community groups from Michigan frequently organize trips. Families discover it through word of mouth. And thanks to the Festival’s Pay-What-You-Can ticket program, many first-timers gain access to world-class theatre without financial burden—a major factor in its accessibility and inclusivity.
But what truly stands out is the incredible diversity on stage and behind the scenes. The 2025 season includes a significant number of BIPOC artists—an artistic choice that reflects a deeper commitment to representation and progress. For many Michigan audiences, especially young artists of color, this representation matters. It mirrors the inclusive spirit of Michigan’s own arts communities, which have long served as hubs of creativity, activism, and social reflection.
Still, this isn’t to suggest that Canada’s arts scene is “post-racial.” As University of Ottawa professor Jinny Yu reminds us through her creation of the Canadian BIPOC Artists Rolodex, significant gaps and challenges remain. Visibility, funding, and institutional support for BIPOC creators are still ongoing struggles across North America. (We’ll save this exploration for a later Encore feature).
More Than Theatre
Stratford isn’t just a place where people go to watch theatre. For many Michigan youth, it’s where they discover it. It’s a launching pad for imagination, for identity, and sometimes for careers. It’s a powerful hub for youth engagement and arts education, particularly for Michigan students and teachers. Through initiatives like the long-running Michigan Residency Program, the Festival connects directly with classrooms across the state, blending curriculum with creativity. Educators attend spring workshops in Stratford, and in the fall, Festival teaching artists travel to Michigan schools, bringing Shakespeare’s works to life with in-class sessions and student matinees.
Additionally, Stratford's Teaching Stratford program offers a structured, immersive experience for U.S. and Canadian teachers. It combines professional development, student matinées, and interactive workshops that extend the stage into the classroom. Participating schools also gain access to InterACTive Preshows, pre-performance sessions where students engage directly with actors and explore themes, characters, and dramatic context before the curtain rises.
To support learning beyond the theatre, Stratford’s PerformancePlus platform provides digital resources including video interviews, discussion guides, and adaptable lesson plans—ideal for both in-person and virtual instruction. We’ll delve more deeply into these initiatives in a future piece.
A Cross-Border Cultural Treasure
In a time when borders and divisions are often front and center, the relationship between Michigan and Stratford reminds us that art makes community possible, both as a verb and a noun.
Michigan has an amazing arts scene. We have fantastic regional theatres, museums, opera companies, and some of the best live music in the world. But every once in a while, it’s good to get out and visit a neighbor. Whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth, a trip to the Festival is a chance to reconnect — with the arts, with community, and with yourself. The 2025 Season promises not to disappoint.
Get tickets to the Stratford Festival by visiting www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/ThePlays
