Essentials: Stratford, Ontario; 55th season; artistic director since 1994, Richard Monette. A well-illustrated, detailed 128-page schedule and visitors' guide to the plays and 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 ; e-mail orders@strat- fordfestival.ca; Web site www.stratfordfestival.ca includes trailers of shows.

Tickets: Prices vary according to play or musical, theater, location in theater and day of the week. The basic range in the Festival, Avon and Tom Patterson theatres is, for plays, Canadian $40-$93 (U.S. $37.70-$87.60), and for musicals, Canadian $45-$108 (U.S. $43.40-$101.75); in the Studio Theatre, Canadian $23-$68 (U.S. $21.70-$64); many shows are discounted for students, seniors, families and groups or at special performances. Tickets are available at the above numbers.

Patron services: Include a free accommodation bureau (1-800-567-1600; www.stratfordfestival.ca). Tourism Stratford lists accommodations (1-800-561-SWAN; 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 (1,826 seats): Shakespeare, "King Lear" (through Oct. 28); Rodgers & Hammerstein, "Oklahoma!" (through Nov. 4); Shakespeare, "The Merchant of Venice" (through Oct. 27); Oscar Wilde, "An Ideal Husband" (July 31-Oct. 27).

Avon Theatre (1,072): Christopher Sergel (Harper Lee), "To Kill a Mockingbird" (through Oct. 27); Gershwin, Gershwin et al, "My One and Only" (through Oct. 28); Shakespeare, "The Comedy of Errors" (through Oct. 26).

Tom Patterson Theatre (480): Shakespeare, "Othello" (through Sept. 22); John Steinbeck, "Of Mice and Men" (through Sept. 22); Edward Albee, "A Delicate Balance" (through Sept. 23).

Studio Theatre (260): Robert Hewett, "The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead" (through Sept. 2); Vern Thiessen, "Shakespeare's Will" (through Sept. 20); Derek Walcott, "The Odyssey" (through Sept. 28); David Edgar, "Pentecost" (Aug. 3-Sept. 21).

Beyond the Stage

Through the Workshop Window (readings of scripts under development): Jane Edmonds, "Savage Brown" (Sept. 14); Florence Gibson, "How Do I Love Thee?" (Sept. 22); Daniel MacIvor, "His Greatness" (Oct. 12); David Nugent, "Open the Dark Door" (Oct. 25). Special Reading: Joyce Vampion in Samuel Beckett, "Not I" (Aug. 26).

Richard Monette events: post-show talk, "Comedy of Errors" (Aug. 12); "A Salute" (Sept. 17); "One Man in His Time," exhibit in Discovery Center beside Festival Theatre; documentary film, "The Madness of King Richard," on sale.

Stageside Chats: Meet the Festival, Talking Theater, Post-Performance Discussions, Pre-Show Lectures, Table Talk -- schedules vary.

Festival Tours: Costume Warehouse (through Nov. 4); Festival Theatre Backstage (through Nov. 4); Garden (through Sept. 1).

Also: Family events; Night Music concerts (four Mondays through Aug. 27); Special Lectures; university courses, teachers' conferences, Shakespeare school, festival courses -- vary from one day to three weeks; and theater packages of many kinds and durations.