Alright, so yes I am so obsessed with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival that one of my favourite books is Stratford Gold: 50 Years, 50 Stars, 50 Conversations- a book filled with interviews led by Richard Ouzounian with 50 of Stratford's most recognizable stars, published to commemorate the Stratford Festival's 50th season in 2002.
In fact I was so enchanted with this book that when I first read it, after reading only the first seven or so entries I published a Facebook note sharing the best of what I had read so far, now that's commitment...Anyways to demonstrate how lovely this book is, below I am going to share just a few of my favourite quotes-this time from the whole book!
But I truly recommend reading it yourself because it is filled with pages and pages of wonderful memories of the Stratford Festival through time.
Any memories of early rehearsals?
William Hutt: my first memory was Richard III. I played a very small part, the keeper of the jail, Brakenbury, and the first time I actually got to open my mouth, and say something in rehearsal, I clearly remember thinking, "I've got to show them that I can speak Shakespeare". So I bellowed it, and in that vast building that was echo-crazy, the noise was deafening. And I remember a rather startled look on Alec Guinness's face and his eyes shifted exactly to where Tony Guthrie was standing...and I think Tony made some politic remark like "We don't need quite so much voice boy. Thank you very much" (Ouzounian, 2002: 25-26).
Irene Worth: We went...with pure blind faith. And why not? Tom Patterson had faith...I remember the afternoon when the whole town of Stratford came out to welcome us, and we stood on top of a hill, and shook hands with, I think everybody in the town of Stratford (Ouzounian, 2002: 54).
Do you have a sing memory that sums up Stratford for you?
Irene Worth: The swans...Early one spring, I came back and I made Bill Needles come with me and we had to pick up swansdown. I was determine to have a Stratford swansdown pillow. We picked up all the swansdown and I, I still have that old swansdown pillow. It's small but it's Stratford (Ouzounian, 2002: 57).
Colm Feore: Well, I have to be honest with you. Everything I have, Shakespeare gave me, And I got it from Shakespeare by being allowed to stay here long enough through think and thin. John Hirsch, God rest his soul, believed in me when I was simply really bad. I mean I was most happy as the Officer in The Comedy of Errors, a part with no lines but a very nice outfit. The rest of it was a mystery to me. I'd spent three years at the National Theatre School but it hadn't sunk in (Ouzounian, 2002: 320).
Antoni Cimolino: I came here when I was a high school kid and the first thing I remember about the Stratford Festival was how smart I felt as I left. I felt that the room became so small, this huge room-I was seated way up there in the gods... and looking down at all these people, and as the play started, I got all the jokes. All of the stuff that seemed impenetrable in the classroom, I totally understood and I wasn't alone...so I left feeling taller, more alive than I'd ever felt in my life (Ouzounian, 2002: 359).
So that's only a very limited selection from this book, I highly recommend looking into it yourself. And for those of you getting sick of my constant blatherings over Stratford, next week my post will be Stratford free.
References
Ouzounian, R. (2002). Stratford Gold 50 years, 50 starts, 50 conversations. McArthur and Company, Toronto.
In fact I was so enchanted with this book that when I first read it, after reading only the first seven or so entries I published a Facebook note sharing the best of what I had read so far, now that's commitment...Anyways to demonstrate how lovely this book is, below I am going to share just a few of my favourite quotes-this time from the whole book!
But I truly recommend reading it yourself because it is filled with pages and pages of wonderful memories of the Stratford Festival through time.
Any memories of early rehearsals?
William Hutt: my first memory was Richard III. I played a very small part, the keeper of the jail, Brakenbury, and the first time I actually got to open my mouth, and say something in rehearsal, I clearly remember thinking, "I've got to show them that I can speak Shakespeare". So I bellowed it, and in that vast building that was echo-crazy, the noise was deafening. And I remember a rather startled look on Alec Guinness's face and his eyes shifted exactly to where Tony Guthrie was standing...and I think Tony made some politic remark like "We don't need quite so much voice boy. Thank you very much" (Ouzounian, 2002: 25-26).
Irene Worth: We went...with pure blind faith. And why not? Tom Patterson had faith...I remember the afternoon when the whole town of Stratford came out to welcome us, and we stood on top of a hill, and shook hands with, I think everybody in the town of Stratford (Ouzounian, 2002: 54).
Do you have a sing memory that sums up Stratford for you?
Irene Worth: The swans...Early one spring, I came back and I made Bill Needles come with me and we had to pick up swansdown. I was determine to have a Stratford swansdown pillow. We picked up all the swansdown and I, I still have that old swansdown pillow. It's small but it's Stratford (Ouzounian, 2002: 57).
Colm Feore: Well, I have to be honest with you. Everything I have, Shakespeare gave me, And I got it from Shakespeare by being allowed to stay here long enough through think and thin. John Hirsch, God rest his soul, believed in me when I was simply really bad. I mean I was most happy as the Officer in The Comedy of Errors, a part with no lines but a very nice outfit. The rest of it was a mystery to me. I'd spent three years at the National Theatre School but it hadn't sunk in (Ouzounian, 2002: 320).
Antoni Cimolino: I came here when I was a high school kid and the first thing I remember about the Stratford Festival was how smart I felt as I left. I felt that the room became so small, this huge room-I was seated way up there in the gods... and looking down at all these people, and as the play started, I got all the jokes. All of the stuff that seemed impenetrable in the classroom, I totally understood and I wasn't alone...so I left feeling taller, more alive than I'd ever felt in my life (Ouzounian, 2002: 359).
So that's only a very limited selection from this book, I highly recommend looking into it yourself. And for those of you getting sick of my constant blatherings over Stratford, next week my post will be Stratford free.
References
Ouzounian, R. (2002). Stratford Gold 50 years, 50 starts, 50 conversations. McArthur and Company, Toronto.
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