The Stratford Festival’s May 28 opening night, which was scheduled to feature Martha Henry in The Tempest, was canceled following a 6:45 PM call to the Stratford Police Service claiming explosives had been placed at the Festival.
It is the first time in the Festival's history that opening night had been canceled.
The 1,826-seat Festival Theatre was evacuated approximately 30 minutes before the performance was set to begin, according to The Globe and Mail. The Avon and Studio Theatres were also secured out of precaution.
The Stratford Festival later tweeted, “We will have a new official opening of the 66th season soon. We will ensure all patrons with tickets for tonight's performances will be contacted regarding their tickets.”
Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino said performances will resume May 29 as scheduled, including the official opening of the Meredith Willson musical The Music Man.
