The Stratford Shakespeare Festival has cancelled one performance and placed 30 others on hold due to the slumping economy.
One April performance of West Side Story was cancelled and the 30 other shows that were suspended are mostly scheduled for September and October.
Spokesperson Ann Swerdfager says it’s a relatively small number of performances that have been put on hold.
Swerdfager says suspending 30 shows out of a total of more than 650 will have little impact on Festival revenue.
Swerdfager says the shows might still go ahead if ticket sales increase.
She says the move will allow Festival officials to gauge demand for the suspended performances and place the shows back in the schedule if they need to.
Ticket sales at the festival, which runs from April to November each year, are down 15 per cent from last year at this time.
Festival ticket sales were placed on hold two weeks ago and those who had already bought tickets were contacted and offered alternative dates.
Though the 2008 season had critical successes, the festival nonetheless racked up a deficit of 2.6 million dollars — the largest in its history in dollar terms.