Böcker av Christie Carson

This analysis of the Stratford Festival examines the full history of one of the largest and oldest dedicated centres for the performance of Shakespeare in North America. In English Canada, this Festival has become the unofficial national theatre and, as such, it has drawn criticism and complaint as well as praise. This volume divides the history of the Festival into three distinct periods, beginning with the foundation of the company, moving through its middle years of expansion and securing stability and ending with an exploration of staging Shakespeare in the 21st century. Through case studies of productions, covering each Artistic Director from Tyrone Guthrie to Antoni Cimolino, it highlights issues of national identity but also the unique relationship that exists between the actor and the audience on the Festival stage. It not only explores the work of international stars such as Christopher Plummer, but also examines the work of longstanding company members William Hutt and Martha Henry, emphasizing the Festival's collective spirit. Shakespeare in the Theatre: The Stratford Festival argues that the Stratford Festival holds an influential position in the theatre world generally and in the Shakespeare performance environment specifically. Initially this was because of the innovative thrust stage built for its opening, but increasingly in the 21st century it has been due to the way that this Festival has used Shakespeare's work to articulate complex questions about national identity and used technology to reach new audiences. The work of the British and American artists who have come to the Festival has been significant, but these artists have also been influenced by the collaborative spirit and working methods established by the company. The Festival and its methods grew out of a very particular social and political climate, and when the actors and directors who trained at the Festival took their training elsewhere, they spread its impact.

This study returns to the origins of Robert Lepage's directorial work and his first cross-cultural interaction with a Shakespearean text to provide some background for his later work. This early work is situated within the political and social context of Quebec and Canada in the 1980s. Constitutional wrangling and government policies of bilingualism, biculturalism and multiculturalism all had a profound impact on this director, helping to forge his priorities and working methods. In 2018 two of Lepage's productions were cancelled due to concerns about cultural appropriation. Lepage responded by stating his view that the artist is as above the concerns of political correctness. While this approach was deemed acceptable in the 1980s, this study looks at the dangers posed by approaching cross-cultural creation from this standpoint in the 21st century.