Stratford says it could end 2009 in black
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 | 5:34 PM ET
CBC News
Chilina Kennedy as Philia and Mike Nadajewski as Hero in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. (David Hou/Stratford Shakespeare Festival) The Stratford Shakespeare Festival says it is poised to end 2009 in the black, despite a recession that threatened ticket sales earlier in the year.
General director Antonio Cimolino said the annual theatre festival in Stratford, Ont., said a break-even year depends on fundraising efforts in the final two months of the year.
"While we are on target to end the year in the black, it is important to note that November and December are crucial months in our fundraising campaign. A significant amount of money is still to come in and, frankly, we are reliant on these donors to ensure a balanced financial position," he said in a release on Tuesday.
The festival had sold 509,000 tickets sold by the season's end, this past weekend, including sold out performances of musicals West Side Story and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Additional performances of both shows were added to the season.
Stratford said sales between April and October were the highest since 2002, a record year.
In April, it had put some performances on hold because of sagging ticket sales.
But Cimolino said the $3.5 million it received from the federal and provincial governments to boost marketing help turn the season around.
There was a 15 per cent increase in ticket sales in Toronto, where much of the marketing was directed, between April and October, the festival reported.
In 2008, the festival suffered a four per cent decline in attendance and finished the year with a $2.6-million deficit, which was offset by its stability fund.
The 2010 season begins April 10 and includes The Tempest, starring Christopher Plummer, and Peter Pan and King of Thieves, starring Sean Cullen.
