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Topic spans: 1953 - 2002
The Stratford Festival: The First 50 Years
The Stratford Festival grew from humble beginnings in a leaky tent into a revered institution. The drama festival has continued to attract actors, critics and theatre-goers from around the globe. Paradoxically, this almost proved to be its undoing. With international directors at the helm in the early years, frustrated Canadians sat on the sidelines. Financial problems almost shut the festival down. But the curtain would rise again on a new golden era.
8 television clips
11 radio clips
Opening night: A new age for Canadian theatre
Broadcast Date: July 31, 1953
It's opening night at the Stratford Festival and the Canadian theatre community is abuzz. Critics have high praise for this ambitious festival which features the famed British thespian Alec Guinness in the title role of Richard III. The brainchild of local journalist Tom Patterson, the festival brings a much-needed boost to the profile of the Canadian dramatic scene. The Festival is also seeking to resuscitate the sagging economy of this small railroad town.Initially, some dismissed Patterson as a dreamer. But with the support of town council and local businessmen he recruited Tyrone Guthrie, a bold and established artistic director in England, to coordinate the effort. Guthrie brought acting, staging and production talent with him to work in tandem with the Canadian company. Patterson then went to England to convince Guinness to be the inaugural star actor. CBC Radio interviews Guinness and gets reaction from the critics on opening night.
Opening night: A new age for Canadian theatre
• "By 1951 I knew the Festival was going to happen. I was going to make it happen." — Tom Patterson in his memoir First Stage.Opening night: A new age for Canadian theatre
Medium: Radio
Program: CBC Wednesday Night
Broadcast Date: July 31, 1953
Guest(s): J.S. Buiste, Robertson Davies, Lotta Dempsey, Alec Guinness, Sir Ernest MacMillan
Announcer: Harry Mannis
Reporter: Thom Benson
Duration: 11:57
Photo: National Archives of Canada PA-142699
Last updated:
May 21, 2008
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19 clips in this topic . page
Radio
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Radio
10:17
June 30, 1980
The celebrated British actress, performing in three Stratford plays in 1980, shares her thoughts on the annual Canadian theatre festival.
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Opening night: A new age for Canadian theatre.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: May 21, 2008.
[Page consulted on Feb. 12, 2012.]