Stratford in Waiting
a photo essay on the theatre town in winter
Photographed by Tim Campbell-Smith, January 2024

A statue of a girl and a dog at a play, in front of the Festival Theatre

Tom Patterson Theatre in the winter.

Steps leading up to a sitting area in a beautiful wooded area by the Stratford Gallery. One tree has a bold brown colour.

A statue of a girl and a dog at a play, in front of the Festival Theatre
Click to scroll and see all 25 images. All available as prints, framed (black) 8x10 for $95 + S/H
Stratford, Ontario is home to the Stratford Theatre Festival, a professional theatre company that hosts a dozen or so shows each year in four different venues. A 90 minute drive from Toronto, Stratford is also known for artisan restaurants, a thriving small business community and a vibrant arts and culture scene that isn't the professional theatre festival.
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Here's the thing: when you search for Stratford online, all we tend to see is the Stratford Theatre Festival, or Stratford blooming in the summer. While I agree these are picturesque moments, I've been to Stratford in the winter and think it holds a unique beauty then too. Beyond this, Destination Stratford even says the town is something to behold in the winter.
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I invite you to see Stratford with me beyond the summer through this series, Stratford in Waiting.
When I roamed the streets of Stratford in the winter, I saw a city in waiting. When I think of waiting, I think of a line for a roller coaster: we stand, we talk to others, we play games. Waiting doesn't mean nothing happens: it means we do little things for enjoyment until something else happens. This is what Stratford in the winter felt like to me.
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The theatres are still there, plants are still out front and kids still go to school. Business run, people run errands and art is still enjoyed. Life still happens in Stratford, and while it may not be the main thing we expect or wait for (the festival), we find joy in the little things.
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Stratford has many "little things", and so many in fact I think it amounts to much that can be enjoyed. Bookstores are cozy, restaurants are delicious, and there's arts everywhere besides the professional live theatre. I think it's worth seeing Stratford in the winter, when it looks like it' s Stratford in Waiting.