First Stage: The Making of the Stratford Festival

by Tom Patterson

Today the achievements of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival are recognized around the world. But in small town Canada in the early 1950s, that success was far from certain.

Starting with nothing but a love for their town, Tom Patterson and the determined citizens of Stratford, Ontario, overcame impossible odds to create the first season in 1953. The success of that first year set the stage for all the triumphs that were to follow.

First Stage tells the full story of the birth of the Stratford Festival. How the funds were raised. How the stage was designed and built. And, most amazing of all, how Alec Guinness, Tyrone Guthrie, Irene Worth and Tanya Moiseiwitsch agreed to come to Canada to perform in a tent for little more than expenses.

But First Stage is also the story of Canada at mid-century, a time when anything -- even having the greatest Shakespearean Festival in the world -- was within our grasp.

Genres: Theatre

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Erinlouise Stirling · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, hopeful, if somewhat romanticised and quaint look at the story

[Leeanne G · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No celebration of the new Tom Patterson Theatre would be complete without a tribute to our inspired and inspiring founder, Tom Patterson - a local boy who would sit on the banks of this river and dream about a better future for his city, and then went about doing something about it." - Antoni Cimolino, Artistic Director of the Stratford Festival, 2022

At first, it seemed like an impossible dream. Tom kept putting it off, unsure of how to even start putting together a Shakespearean Festival in a small town in Ontario. However, whenever he mentioned his dream to anyone they immediately thought it was a great idea and voiced their support.

This is the 70th season of what is now known as the Stratford Festival. Though the brand-new, state of the art, Tom Patterson Theatre was meant to open in 2020 for the 100th birthday of its namesake, it is still fitting that it now opens 70 years after its namesake brought his incredible dream to life. It is also fitting, and purposeful, that the new theatre opens with the same play that began the famous festival 70 years ago, and with another famous leading man. Richard III opened with Colm Feore as the famous ‘bottled spider’, limping in the footsteps of Sir Alec Guinness’ Richard. All’s Well That End’s Well also returns as the accompanying play, just as it did in 1953, to bring a bit of lightness after the heavy Richard III. I can say from experience that these excellent performances - in this extraordinary work of architecture - certainly pay a wonderful tribute and homage to Tom Patterson, his beloved city of Stratford, his vibrant Festival, and Shakespeare - who probably never would have expected a little Canadian town to put on such a show year after year.

To the average non Stratfordian, Canadian, or small-town born person, this book possibly won’t be as moving, exciting or inspiring as it was to me. I do believe that anyone can be inspired by Tom Patterson and how he pulled off his dream. This book really made me want to go out and change the world. However, the beginning of the Stratford Festival and history of the city might not appeal much to someone who isn’t any of the things I listed above.

For me, this book was extremely exciting and inspiring, far more so than I could have ever imagined it to be. I knew all the landmarks he references, and I’ve heard/seen snippets of many of these stories before. I get to see every day, the fruit of his dream, and how it is thriving. I didn’t realize how much I owe to Tom Patterson, Tom Orr, and everyone who was involved in the making of the festival.

I can’t express how great it was to be reading this book inside the new Tom Patterson Theatre, down the road from the Festival theatre and the site of the first season, with the beautiful, traditional African music of Death and the King’s Horseman filling the building.

I can not more highly recommend going to see a Stratford Festival production if you ever have the opportunity to. It is an incredible experience.
Stratford Festival Website

“His dream and determination changed the course of history not only here in Stratford, not only in this country, but in the performing arts internationally.” - Antoni Cimolino

[Russell Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Stage: The Making of the Stratford Festival by Tom Patterson and Allan Gould is an inspiring book. Imminently readable, it is a story that anyone can enjoy and be touched by. If you are a theater buff, it is an especially great book. Although the book is essentially the story of the founding of the famous Festival in Stratford, Canada, it is also the story of a remarkable man, Tom Patterson. This is a man who, never having attended a theatrical performance, decided that his hometown, names for the birthplace of William Shakespeare, should have a Shakespeare Festival. With virtually no idea as to how to make this happen, Patterson started a campaign that led to what today is a multi-million dollar, months-long festival of not only Shakespeare but plays from all eras and other playwrights. Patterson, with dogged determination, did the unthinkable: he convinced many to fund his venture, roped in a world-famous master of Shakespeare, the director Tyrone Guthrie, hooked the popular actor of the time Alec Guiness as his star, and put together a six-week season that consisted of two plays, played alternately. And Patterson succeeded in getting publicity that spanned not only Canada but the US and Britain. Yes, he had help, because the tiny town’s citizens thought his idea was a wonderful one, and they banded with him. But the idea, largely, would not have come to fruition without Tom Patterson and his cockamamie (that’s what many thought of it) idea. An idea that spurred Canada’s theater scene and made Stratford world famous. The book is inspiring, as I previously said, but it is also wildly entertaining, for theater people are a breed unlike no other, and Patterson’s anecdotes are quite often hilarious. Written in the 1990s and relating events from the early 1950s, this book is still a wonderful read!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at how the Stratford Festival was developed. The writing is a bit dull but the story itself is interesting to those of us who love Stratford.

[Paul Meloon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful biography on an excellent festival. Encore!