How to pull off a James Play marathon

According to Laurie Sansom, Steven Miller and the Luminato Festival’s artistic director, Jorn Weisbrodt, the best way to experience The James Plays is by catching one of their marathon days, when all three plays are performed in sequence. These take place during the festival’s weekend dates, June 18-19, and June 25-26, with James I beginning at noon and James III finishing at around 11 p.m. “It’s really like binge-watching HBO or something like that,” Weisbrodt says. “It’ll really satisfy people’s needs because once you see one, you want to know more.”

Following are Weisbrodt’s tips to make it through a James Play marathon:

Wear layers

“The climate inside the Hearn is more like a cathedral,” he says, so it can get chilly.

Wear walking shoes

Explore the Hearn. “Everything’s open. I wanted it all to be a huge, overwhelming, beautiful, brilliant chaos,” Weisbrodt says. In particular, take a stroll through some of the visual art installations.

Check the festival schedule

“There’s so much at the Hearn that you can do in between shows,” he says. Catch anything from a baroque concert by Tafelmusik to a parkour workout led by Monkey Vault. Prepare to eat There are several food options at the Hearn, including a canteen, bar service and a German biergarten “with the most spectacular view on to downtown Toronto,” Weisbrodt says. You can also buy a “backstage meal” online or at the box office to eat between shows. Leave travel time Luminato’s free shuttle travels between the Hearn and Union Station every 30 to 45 minutes, also stopping at a nearby TTC bus stop (accessible on the 72C or 12B). Parking is available with a daily parking pass available online and there are bicycle racks. Carly Maga