Post 21/2024 Stratford, Ontario. We stepped into a “A World Elsewhere” at the Stratford Festival of Canada this week past. Out of 12 productions we chose three: two musicals, Something Rotten! and La Cage aux Folles, and the play Hedda Gabler by Ibsen. Excellent entertainment all. Hedda Gabler was especially thought-provoking.

I’ll not attempt an analysis, other than to quote Artist Director Antoni Cimolino on the season’s theme, A World Elsewhere: “What does being away from home teach us and bring to us? What are the benefits, and what might be the risks, of seeking out worlds elsewhere? When we leave our familiar surroundings, we may encounter uncertainty and challenges. Still, at the same time, we can enjoy the freedom of no longer being bound to the identities that defined us before. And perhaps our journey will culminate in finding something that completes us and makes us happy.”

Cimolino adds: “Transformative voyages, both literal and metaphorical, pervade this season’s playbill. . . . Whatever journeys we take, we want them to bring us joy and hope, ideally with laughter along the way. That too was an important consideration in selecting these works, even the darkest sparkles in its own way and leaves us feeling uplifted.”

The fun included traveling with friends Gwen and Dean with whom Marty and I have “done theatre” in Stratford, along with gatherings of extended family and friends, for at least 40 years. We’ve collected scores of memories, more than enough mementos, a multitude of gratitudes.

Act II

Act II involved a gathering of family, who have and still do, live on the old home place.

This year, after our final matinee show on Saturday, we gathered at the farm where not just my siblings and I grew up but now covers three generations. More than a dozen of us gathered at the old/new home place in Oxford County for food and visiting–and saying goodbye to the old farm house to be replaced by a new one. So fine.

Act III

We encountered a startling surprise in Act III, the trip home on Sunday. Our exhaust system broke. The pipes separated between the catalytic converter, the muffler and tail pipe. At a stop for gas the station manager got a coat hanger and said he could secure the dragging converter. Another person who saw us, summoned her husband to come with a heavy jack to allow the manager, who looked like he was about 16, to do the temporary fix, for the remaining 120 miles home.

Just to say, we got home. Heavy rain greeted us in Indiana. Concerningly, the temporary tie came lose going through a puddle. We made it to nephew, Phil’s home in Shipshewana. He graciously delivered us home to Goshen, on the way picking me up at the garage where I dropped off the car.

‘All’s well that ends well’

We are grateful for a wonderful time in Ontario, the people who helped us on the way home, and for those professionals who will take care of that awful noisy, scary, concerning exhaust system, a drama that, hopefully, will have a quick and satisfying ending.

Featured image: Sunset at home. A feature of some of our travels over the years: carrot cake at a nice restaurant, Zyndas, in Williamston, Michigan.

-John