The Stratford Festival, founded in 1953 as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, is the largest classical repertory theater in North America. From its Tuesday opening through Nov. 6, it will stage 14 shows (one a double bill) in a rotating repertory in its four theaters.

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Artistic director Richard Monette has dubbed the season "Saints and Sinners," since, as he says, the various struggles between good and evil it dramatizes range from the Edenic purity of Miranda in "The Tempest" and the self-sacrificing conviction of Joan of Arc in "The Lark" to the manipulative corruption of Mortimer in "Edward II" and the seductive wolf in "Into the Woods."

But that's just a general label that hardly accounts for the variety of 14 shows extending in time from the Middle Ages to today.

Just three plays, all comedies, are by Shakespeare (last year there were six), but the Bard remains Stratford's dominant presence. The majestic, 1,824-seat Festival Theatre hosts two of his comedies, "As You Like It," in which director Antoni Cimolino (festival executive director) locates the Forest of Arden in the 1967 "Summer of Love," with music by Barenaked Ladies, and the majestic late romance "The Tempest," starring the grand old man of Canadian theater, William Hutt. The third comedy, staged at the 487-seat Tom Patterson Theatre, is the dark and perplexing "Measure for Measure," with which Monette completes a full tour of Shakespeare's canon in the 12 years of his artistic directorship.

Shakespearean in period is Christopher Marlowe's "Edward II," in the tiny Studio Theatre, and Shakespearean in personal anguish and epic scope is Lillian Hellman's version of Jean Anouilh's "The Lark," on the big Festival stage.

This year the festival honors America's Tennessee Williams with two productions, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" on the 1,093-seat, picture-frame Avon Stage (with James Blendik's Big Daddy doing pretty well by the evil side of things), and "Orpheus Descending" at the Patterson. Both will test the perception of some critics that the only thing Canadian theater doesn't do well are the extremes of sexual passion.

Broadway musicals long ago invaded the great Shakespearean thrust of the Festival Theatre. Once upon a time, those interlopers were confined to adaptations of Shakespeare, such as "The Boys from Syracuse" or "West Side Story." But this year, Stratford challenges its acting ensemble to freshen that familiar warhorse "Hello, Dolly!" And at the Avon, it tackles the intricate, sweet-sour wit of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's "Into the Woods."

The Canadian contingent

Another subset of Stratford plays is the Canadian contingent. Canadian playwrights represented are Jason Sherman, adaptor of Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov"; James Reaney, who recounts the evil visited on an Irish immigrant family in "The Donnellys: Sticks and Stones"; Nicolas Billon, exploring a half-century relationship in "The Measure of Love"; and Dan Needles, whose "Wingfield's Inferno" is another installment in the saga of Walt Wingfield, played by Rod Beattie.

That leaves only the inimitable Noel Coward and Ruth Draper to complete this season's broad array, the former with "Fallen Angels," a vehicle for the festival's two reigning leading ladies, Lucy Peacock and Seana McKenna, and the latter with Lally Cadeau's re-creation of the monologues with which the American actress delighted the mid-century.

The range and flexibility of the festival company will be tested in many ways. Most of the same performers get to encompass the differing styles of "Into the Woods" and "Hello, Dolly!" To their Coward roles, Peacock adds Dolly Levi and McKenna adds Lady Torrance in "Orpheus." David Snelgrove pairs Williams' Brick with Marlowe's Edward II.

Stephen Ouimette plays both Caliban and Touchstone, an unusual Shakespearean duo; Peter Donaldson, both Horace Vandergelder and the Narrator in "Into the Woods"; and Jonathan Goad ranges from the corruption of Shakespeare's Angelo to the renegade purity of Williams' Valentine Xavier. Scott Wentworth pulls a triple: Fyodor in "Brothers Karamazov," David Cutrere in "Orpheus" and Mortimer in "Edward II."

Two stars of "The Lark" stand out in prospect: Amanda Plummer makes a rare Stratford appearance as Joan, and Martha Henry, often a director, takes on the (usually male) role of Joan's Inquisitor. Cynthia Dale tackles Maggie the Cat.

The many other familiar names in the acting company include Barry MacGregor, Bernard Hopkins, Michelle Giroux, William Needles, Graham Abbey, Scott Wentworth, Diane D'Aquila and Fiona Reid.

Stratford star Brian Bedford is not acting this year, but he directs "Fallen Angels." Susan H. Schulman, formerly of Pittsburgh CLO, directs "Dolly," and Monette takes on a triple load, "Tempest," "Cat" and "Edward II."

Thanks to the four theaters and rotating repertory, there are as many as eight plays a day to choose from.

The Sondheim factor

You might not expect to see Sondheim at a theater where Shakespeare reigns, but it makes sense: two wordsmiths who can be reckoned the dominant theatrical figures of their times. Directing "Into the Woods" is Peter Hinton, in his fourth year at Stratford, director elsewhere of more than 70 new and classical plays and operas. This is his first Sondheim; it's Stratford's first Sondheim, too, except for "Gypsy," for which Sondheim was lyricist.

Hinton argues that "the kind of acting chops the classical repertory requires, fit Sondheim. ... The theater we do here is language and idea-centered, Shakespeare-inspired and profoundly humanist" -- just like "Into the Woods," which has language that "gets everyone's ears awake."

"Into the Woods" is similar to a dark Shakespearean comedy, Hinton says, with its forest "green world" like those in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" or "As You Like It." As in "Midsummer," he says, "a group of people who seem to think they have everything going their way take a journey into a dark and subconscious wood"; like Shakespeare, "Into the Woods" is "as mythic as it is psychological."

He calls it "an experiment in programming" but predicts Sondheim will be good for Stratford and vice versa. "Into the Woods" should gain from being juxtaposed to classics, and in turn, "it brings freshness and modernity to the kind of play we do here." Hinton thinks Stratford is long overdue to welcome "the most influential musical theater composer of the 20th century." He also points out that some famous Sondheim performers have been Stratford regulars, including Angela Lansbury, Len Cariou and Barbara Byrne.

He scorns the perception that Stratford stages musicals just for their box-office draw, saying this assumes "that musicals aren't art, which I feel is really offensive." But since audiences rarely come to Stratford to see just one show, "I'm hoping there will be people who've never been to a musical before [who will discover] a thinking person's musical, thought-provoking, with all the generosity and showmanship of any great play."

If you go to the Stratford Festival

Essentials

Stratford, Ontario; 53rd season. Artistic director since 1994: Richard Monette. A well-illustrated, detailed 128-page schedule and visitors' guide to hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and other attractions is available from the Stratford Festival, Box 520, Stratford, Ontario, Canada N5A 6V2; phone 1-800-567-1600; fax 1-519-273-3731; e-mail orders@stratfordfestival.ca; Web site www.stratfordfestival.ca.

Tickets: Prices vary according to play or musical, theater, location, day of week and whether you book more than 60 days ahead. The range in the Festival Theatre and Avon Theatre is Canadian $50.50-$114.39 (U.S. $41-$92.66); for the Tom Patterson Theatre, Canadian $68.25-$92.54 (U.S. $55.28-$75); for the Studio Theatre, Canadian $36.65-$61.78 (U.S. $29.69-$50); many shows are discounted for students, seniors, families and groups or at special performances. Tickets are available at the above numbers.

Extensive patron services include a free accommodation bureau (1-800-567-1600; www.stratford-festival.ca; e-mail accommodations-@stratfordfestival.ca; Tourism Strat- ford lists accommodations (1-800-561-7926; www.city.stratford.on.ca) and, through October, runs an information booth at York Street and Lakeview Drive. The festival Visitor's Guide lists several more B&B associations.

Schedule of plays

Festival Theatre (1,824 seats): Shakespeare, "As You Like It" (April 27-Oct. 30); Jerry Herman, et al, "Hello, Dolly!" (May 7-Nov. 6); Shakespeare, "The Tempest" May 20-Oct. 28); Jean Anouilh, adapted by Lillian Hellman, "The Lark" (July 31-Oct. 29).

Avon Theatre (1,093): Sondheim and Lapine, "Into the Woods" (April 19-Oct. 30); Noel Coward, "Fallen Angels" (May 3-Oct. 29); Tennessee Williams, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (May 19-Oct. 29).

Tom Patterson Theatre (487): Jason Sherman (after Dostoevsky), "The Brother Karamazov" (May 21-Sept. 24); Tennessee Williams, "Orpheus Descending" (May 28-Sept. 25); Dan Needles, "Wingfield's Inferno" (June 1-Aug. 14); Shakespeare, "Measure for Measure" (Aug. 5-Sept. 24).

Studio Theatre (260): James Reaney, "The Donnellys: Sticks and Stones" (June 7-Sept. 14); Nicolas Billon, "The Measure of Love," and Raymond O'Neill, "Ruth Draper on Tour" (June 9-Sept. 25); Christopher Marlowe, "Edward II" (Aug. 4-Sept. 24).

Festival fringe

Through the Workshop Window (readings of scripts under development): Peter Hinton, "Fanny Kemble" (Sept. 9); Anton Piatigorsky, "The Duke of Windsor" (Sept. 20); Timothey Findley and Peter Hinton, "Famous Last Words" (Sept. 24); Jonathan Goad, "Robyn Hode" (Sept. 30).

Celebrated Writers: Rohinton Mistry (June 26); Nicolas Billon, Peter Hinton, Dan Needles and Jason Sherman on Canadian playwrights (July 3); Richard B. Wright (July 10); Wayson Choy and Elizabeth Hay (Aug. 14); Jane Urquhart (Aug. 28).

Other events: "Shakespeare and Moliere, Love and Laughter/Amour et Humeur," Douglas Campbell and Jean-Louis Roux (Aug. 4, 5, 7); Table Talk (11 dates, buffet and lecture on different plays); Special Lectures (four noon lectures).

Festival Tours: Costume warehouse (May 27-Nov. 5); Festival Theatre backstage (June 8-Nov. 6); garden (Tuesdays through Fridays, June 7-Sept. 2).

The Academy: Festival Courses for teachers (14 dates, different subjects); Shakespeare School (seven sessions, ages 13-18); university courses (four subjects, July 4-22 and July 25-Aug. 12).

Theater Packages: Weekend Explorer (four themed weekends); Canada Play Day (July 1); Stratford Seminars (Aug. 1-6, 8-13); Conestoga College Elderhostels (May 22-27, May 29-June 3, Sept. 18-23); 4-Seasons Stratford Packages; Stratford Escapes; special interest packages.

Tour from Pittsburgh: The Post-Gazette sponsors a theater tour to both the Stratford Festival (four plays) and Shaw Festival (three plays), June 21-25. Call 412-441-3131 for details.

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