Excitement is building about the festival's production of The Tempest, starring Christopher Plummer.

A critically-acclaimed season doesn't seem to be enough these days to push the Stratford Shakespeare Festival into the black, but without top productions the festival could really be struggling.

A lot is riding on the 2010 season, then, as tickets went on sale last week and the festival is only a month away from starting rehearsals.

"It was a very tough start at the beginning of last year and things turned around as the year went on and we're finding some of the same patterns this year," said Antoni Cimolino, the festival's general director.

"Here we are 15 days into 2010 and we've got just as tough of a situation on our hands. Every year it seems, it's a struggle."

While we'll find out in March, when the 2009 financial report is due, what the bottom line is, the festival is relying on donors and the government for a helping hand.

In 2008, it posted a $2.6-million deficit.

What is particularly distressing as the festival prepares for its new season that opens on June 7 (with previews starting in April), is the likely impact of the provincial harmonized sales tax (HST) at the box office.

The new tax could not come at a worse time as the economy slowly comes out of the recession.

"There has not been a provincial sales tax on tickets for performing arts in 30 years. The lion's share of our revenue comes from ticket prices and they weren't tax. It was a way of keeping tickets lower," Cimolino said.

"What happened when we introduced the GST was that there was a real shock in the first couple of years. It took several years for things to get back to normal and it had a very negative impact on the festival at that time."

Festival officials have told the government their concerns.

"We're going to need some help to keep ticket prices lower. If they give us some money we will put it right against not increasing ticket prices," Cimolino said.

It should be noted that patrons who buy tickets for shows that run after the introduction of the HST on July 1, won't pay the tax if they buy before May 1.

Last season was a success in terms of the calibre of shows and acclaim and the festival's big hits were West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Ever Yours, Oscar, which were extended due to demand.

Some of those audience members were at the festival for the first time.

With one-fifth of ticket sales coming from new patrons, Cimolino hopes those attendees will come back again and that the festival will also attract even more initiates this year.

He believes they can do that with shows such as Evita and Peter Pan.

"It's going to be magical," Cimolino said of Peter Pan.

"We have an outstanding director (Tim Carroll, formerly an associate director at Shakespeare's Globe). The beauty of the sets and costumes and just the great story is going to draw a lot of people."

Evita seems to do well wherever it plays.

He also believes The Tempest, which brings Christopher Plummer back to the festival, could be a sellout.

Interestingly, the three Shakespearian plays staged last year had mixed reviews and didn't draw as well as hoped.

This year, the festival is offering four plays by Shakespeare.

Cimolino was asked if producing four is a bit of a gamble.

"Well look, the centre of the Stratford Festival is Shakespeare and that has been the case since 1953. We know we have a deep following, not only in Canada but across the United States and around the world. The attendance for these things ebb and flow," he said.

"There is always a consistent attendance over time. It is absolutely the caviar of theatre."

He believes a young audience will enjoy As You Like It, which returns Brent Carver to the festival as Jaques.

"It's all about youthful rebellion. It's naturally a play that appeals to young people. It's got an outstanding cast."

The other plays by the Bard produced in Stratford will be The Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Winter's Tale.

Cimolino said most of the actors have been contracted for the productions, but there are a few cast members not yet announced.

Other than that, "We're ready to go."