Photo exhibit at Stratford Festival showcases stars of stage and song
Paul Newman, Christopher Plummer, Maureen Stapleton and Bob Dylan appear in a series of iconic images captured by photographer Jayson Byrd of Westport to be exhibited in the lobby of Stratford’s American Shakespeare Festival Theatre Aug. 1-5 in conjunction with a production of
There is no charge for admission to either presentation, nor for parking. You can bring your own picnic, blanket and lawn chair.
Byrd’s black-and-white studies trace the vibrant texture of the stage and song in Fairfield County in the 1980s and 1990s, showcasing his work as the official photographer of extensive list of theaters like the Shakespeare in Stratford, Westport Country Playhouse, Darien Dinner Theater,
Boston Post Road Stage Company, Polka Dot Playhouse, Stamford Theatre Works, Shakespeare on the Sound and Music Theatre of Connecticut.
From Morris Carnovsky to Meatloaf, from Tony Bennett to Jerry Stiller, Newman et al, Byrd’s catalogue of stills reflects the gilded age of theater that brought the biggest box office luminaries live to Connecticut audiences.
Included in the collection are studies of Stratford’s own Nancy Marchand, Dudley Moore and Dean Winters, “Mr. Mayhem” in the TV insurance commercials.
“To me,” Byrd says, “a photo is a visual hook that projects the creative energy of the personality and reveals our human vulnerability, connecting us to the celebrity and inducing us to see them perform and learn more about them.”
Live jazz and music on the lawn, plus yoga and zumba, enhance the production of “Romeo & Juliet,” adapted and
directed by Ellen Lieberman. Additional information is available at www.festivalstratford.org or Festival Stratford on Facebook.
(Cutlines)
Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and supporting cast
Christopher Plummer
Bob Dylan
Jean Stapleton
Nancy Marchand
Morris Carnovsky
