#stratford

[unteriors]

N Maple Street, Stratford, Texas.

[4thelonghaul]

In the ’70s, when actor Paul Gross was naught but a barne (as Shakespeare would say), his mother took him to see King Lear at the Stratford Festival. Afterward, Gross’s heart swelled, his eyes widened and he proclaimed, “I want whatever that is.” He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of hunky RCMP constable Benton Fraser in the TV comedy-drama Due South, but he’s also played Hamlet and King Lear at Stratford. And this season, he’s back as Vladimir in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. When he’s not onstage delivering existential monologues, he takes advantage of the region’s bounty. Here, a tour of his favourite spots.

What actor Paul Gross loves about Stratford

Wild Hog Country Market

“I am a carnivore. I love cooking, and I love dead animals (but not in an RFK Jr. way). The meat at Wild Hog is fabulous. I’ll load up my cart with all sorts of unbelievable steaks, chucks, ribs—you name it—and fresh produce before heading out of town to my place in Cobourg with my wife, Martha. They also have a good café—not that I need any more coffee after pounding back-to-back cups at 5 a.m.” 2785 Line 34, Perth East, wildhog.ca

T. J. Dolan Trail

“I have a terrier—or terror­er, as I like to say—who always needs to go out. He’s indefatigable. A few years ago, I started a habit of running my lines while dragging him around the picturesque T. J. Dolan Trail that winds around Lake Victoria and through a graveyard. At the time, I was growing my hair and beard out for King Lear, and I looked insane, yelling at a dog in iambic pentameter. Hikers would stare at me. They still do, even though the lines for Godot are more decipherable. I don’t stop to do much explaining.” Entrance located off John St. N.

What actor Paul Gross loves about Stratford

Fanfare Books

“I’m so glad people have continued supporting independent bookstores even in the age of Amazon—they’re too special to lose. Fanfare Books is almost 60 years old. It has creaky wooden floors, and the atmosphere is wonderful. No one bothers you while you’re browsing, but the staff are quick with a recommendation if you ask for one. It’s the kind of place where I could end up sitting in an armchair and leafing through a whole book. They have lots of plays and books on the craft of acting, but I read more fiction. I recently picked up Virginia Evans’s The Correspondent on a staff member’s suggestion and loved it.” 92 Ontario St., Stratford, fanfarebooks.ca

Canadian Tire

“Canadian Tire is the world’s all-time greatest store. It has some sort of ESP that knows how to make me compulsively buy stuff. I go in for two things and walk out having spent $200. I used to use a little handheld basket, but now I know myself: I need the big cart. My dad had a one-piece snowsuit from there that he called his bunny suit. I inherited it, and I still wear it every winter. I’m sad the fake money is disappearing, but that’s okay. I’m learning to accept change.” 1093 Ontario St., Stratford, canadiantire.ca

Gallery Stratford

“A short walk away from the Festival Theatre, Gallery Stratford always has a great little show on. It’s well curated, and whether it’s exhibiting paintings, drawings or sculptures, I’m all in. I’m indiscriminate—I like everything. When I visit, I like to take some time to enjoy the grounds and the building. The gallery is housed in the city’s old waterworks from the 1880s. It’s gorgeous when all the gardens get going in the spring and everything is in bloom.” 54 Romeo St. S., Stratford, gallerystratford.on.ca

[belladovah]

Veronaville Build-spiration: Stratford-upon-Avon

I've just been to Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, where half of Veronaville was inspired by. I thought I'd share the pictures I took of the architecture in case anyone else can find it helpful when building in Veronaville or any Tudor/Medieval style hood for that matter!

[sgiandubh]

Elephant Lady means business, this time

Again. Prompted by this perfectly inocuous article:

[Source: Parade Magazine IG account - posted September 23, 2025]

It is a long-winded rehash of all the talking points he mentioned recently, on that blink-a-lot Zoom interview.

But someone is lurking in the shadows (we'd wish...) and the mention of that batch of Appletini being shared with the rest of the OL cast must have triggered something. It's difficult to ascertain, when dealing with a psychotic episode, for dissociation is a bitch (yes, Criminology was a passionate extra, in Uni).

Color me seriously worried, this time:

Green heart and she has a trip. Green heart and she has an entrance.

She feels so powerful and decided (also typical for what I tried to describe above), that she decided to share her own spot for the Macbeth show:

I have reported her account, but reporting is not enough. I know that, by now, she became a sort of derailed fixture of this bloody fandom, but this time she lets him (she talks to S and only to S, here) know she will be there and she means to act on it.

This is a challenge and it can go south very quickly. I would not take any bets and, given her documented harassment history, I would take no chances.

It may sound idiotic (which it is), or harmless (which it is not). It is a tragic and dangerous possibility and come to think of it, she is not stupid at all and probably even able to fake enough normality as to pass undetected. Note she shared her assigned place, but not the day of her planned appearance.

I think we should do something. Someone should tell the Police, or at least find a way to give word further up. That does not seem to be a joke and yes, always remember (no, this time I am dead serious, ladies):

Mark Chapman was also a disgruntled fan.

If you have more ideas to brainstorm, I am all ears and available at all hours. If we care, let's not be cowards.

[Later edit]: physical menace appeared in her IG stories, and that is new. The trigger is 'Maxtavic' (oh, dear, Grandma, again) and 'that old alcoholic drunken girl' (I have an idea, and no, it is not C).

I expect this to continue and amplify during the next days/weeks.

[robert-painter]

Stratford

[fuckitandmovetobritain]

Welford on Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK

[lonestarflight]

Two workers attaching a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp onto a F4U Corsair at the Chance-Vought factory in Stratford, Connecticut.

Date: March 1943

NARA: 179036630

[mummygolucky]

📖 Fanfiction update 📖

You're still the one

Chapters 10-11 (Yes, a double chapter drop.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/66642559/chapters/196465201

Thank you @mememukisblog for the B&W pic. 😘