STRATFORD, Ontario -- The Stratford Festival devotes itself mainly to classics. This year, the 14 shows it stages in its four theaters demonstrate roughly equal fealty to Canada's two overpowering Anglo cultural relatives.

From England come four Shakespeares and a contemporary David Edgar play about political refugees. From America come two classic musicals (Gershwin and Rodgers & Hammerstein), a couple of mid-century genre plays and one theatrical classic, Edward Albee's "Delicate Balance."

The Stratford season also includes an Australian play, a Caribbean version of "The Odyssey" and an Anglo-Irish classic, Oscar Wilde (his "An Ideal Husband"). Finally, there is even one Canadian play . . . about Shakespeare.

	Stratford Festival of Canada Peter Donaldson plays Atticus Finch and Abigail Winter-Culliford is Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird." Click photo for larger image. Previous Coverage Stage Reviews: Among Stratford's 14 plays, these 2 draw varied reactions

So far, I've seen just four of these, though I hope to get back. Monday, I surveyed the season (complete with information on schedule, accommodations, etc.) and reviewed one from the English column and one from the American: Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" and Gershwin's "My One and Only." That leaves "The Comedy of Errors" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" for today.

'The Comedy of Errors'

To situate you in the sometimes-confusing field of Shakespearean comedy, this is the early farce about two sets of twins separated at birth. The two masters are both named Antipholus and the servants, Dromio. One master-servant duo goes in search of the other, but, when strangers suddenly seem to know them, never draws the obvious conclusion that they've stumbled on what they were looking for. Hence, farce.

Shakespeare draws directly on the plots and dramaturgical models of the Roman playwright Plautus, which is one reason "Comedy of Errors" is so reminiscent of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," derived from the same Roman originals. The other reason is that director Richard Monette consciously pays homage to "Forum" and the baggy-pants comedy traditions behind it, whether American vaudeville or English music hall.

The result is a lot of fun and just about as silly as "Comedy of Errors" generally is. Since no one reveres this youthful work, directors feel free to show off their cleverness. Monette's chief silliness is to take the long expository speech at the beginning and, as directors usually do, joke it up -- here, by having it performed to citizens masked and reacting in unison like a tragic Greek chorus.

He also takes lots of freedom with Shakespeare's text, which is by far his shortest, introducing many parody references: "I'll never go hungry again," "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," John Wayne, "Zorba" music, a Penguin and a camel. (Why not, since it was sitting around backstage, used in "My One and Only"?)

The play is set in Ephesus, which, with some obvious reference to St. Paul's thoughts on that ancient city, is portrayed as exotic and mysterious. Stratford provides joking signage and a Magritte-like sky, and the quack doctor the Ephesians resort to when they think their friend Antipholus is insane (but of course he's really the visitor) becomes a crazy grotesque.

The play's serious theme is identity, which is seriously shaken for both the visiting and the native Antipholus. Fortunately, Antipholus of Ephesus has not only a very confused wife but also a sister-in-law, so Antipholus of Syracuse has a safe amatory harbor at the end. The two Dromios experience their confusion on a more visceral level.

It is they who provide much of the comedy, especially the rubber-faced Dromio of Syracuse (Bruce Dow), who really soars in the brilliant improv-like shtick describing the fat woman who thinks he's her husband. Steve Ross makes a very effective twin, such that it really is hard to tell them apart.

Not so with the Antipholi, sweet-faced David Snelgrove (Syracuse) and care-worn Tom McCamus (Ephesus). But they and all join for a remarkably warm, familial ending, a satisfying end to an entertaining play. Monette's last Shakespeare as Stratford's retiring artistic director is also, coincidentally, the 200th Shakespeare the festival has staged.

The same play will open the Pittsburgh Public Theater season in September.

'To Kill a Mockingbird'

I suppose we all know Harper Lee's famous novel, even if only from the 1962 movie starring Gregory Peck. That said, Stratford deserves credit for making its stage version stand up to those potent memories.

It does this mainly through a muted, layered set design by Charlotte Dean and the simple, foursquare acting of Peter Donaldson and Abigail Winter-Culliford as Atticus and his daughter, Scout. As varyingly and darkly lit by Kevin Fraser, the set suggests the mix of small-town normalcy and gothic mystery of the Depression-era South. And the unostentatiously good man and the alert, precocious child satisfy our need for accessible heroes in a life we can imagine ourselves part of.

Director Susan H. Schulman (once upon a time staff director at Pittsburgh CLO) manages the small, feeling moments very well. The big scenes aren't quite as strong, even though there are 30 actors on stage, and I feel the running accompaniment of gospel songs creates an artificial theme park feel -- using black actors as stalwart icons rather than people, illustrating a culture rather than showing it.

But you can see why "Mockingbird" is such a deeply popular text. It shows us the ugliness of our historic racism. Then in Atticus it flatters us that we can rise above it, and in Scout provides the hope that each generation will improve on the past.

Both plays run through October. For information, call 1-800-567-1600 or visit www.stratfordfestival.ca.

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Correction/Clarification: (Published Aug. 2, 2007) In these theater reviews from the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada, as originally published Aug. 1, 2007 the Oscar Wilde play referred to should have been "An Ideal Husband."