Stratford Festvial

At its beginning, founder Tom Patterson dreamed of a theatre festival featuring the works of Shakespeare. In 1953, with the help of British director Tyrone Guthrie, Canadian novelist and playwright Robertson Davies, and Canadian actor Dora Mavor Moore, he formed the Stratford Festival in a theatre that mimiced the design of the Globe, in Stratford, ON. For its first season, the Stratford festival focused only on the works of Shakespeare, but by its second, it featured Oedipus Rex, bringing the focus from Shakespeare only to other classic works. 

Throughout the years, the festival has acquired additional theatres like the Festival Theatre in 1957, and Avon Theatre in 1963. In 1971, it began to lease the arena for experimental works and workshops, then later purchased and renamed it after the festival's founder. 

In 1999, the Stratford Festival began offering classical theatre training programs and acquired yet another theatre in 2002: the Studio Theatre. This festival has only grown larger every year and is still in operation today.

Found in this collection are Stratford Festival scrapbooks, prompt books, house programs, and promotional material.