Meighen Forum to Host THE LEGACY MAKERS and Fairy Folklore Talks

The Stratford Festival's Meighen Forum will continue in September with a lineup exploring theatre, history, folklore and language through conversations, panels, a new play reading and special events.

Highlights will include Graham Abbey's Spotlight Series conversations with Stratford veterans Rod Beattie, Walter Borden and Diana Leblanc, as well as Seana McKenna and Lucy Peacock. Scholars and Experts Week will bring James Shapiro and Stratford Festival Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino together to discuss Shakespeare, while Gretchen McCulloch, Hannibal Hamlin and Sali Tagliamonte will explore how language is created and transformed.

The month will also feature a reading of Christine Horne's Old Miranda, starring Chick Reid and Tom McCamus, and an installment of David Goldbloom's interview series featuring journalist Steve Paikin.

The Spotlight: The Legacy Makers

Thursday, September 3, 10:30 a.m.-noon
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre

Graham Abbey will host celebrated actors Rod Beattie, Walter Borden and Diana Leblanc for a conversation reflecting on their careers, inspirations and the lessons they have learned across decades onstage.

Who Was King James?

Thursday, September 10, 10:30 a.m.-noon
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre

Playwright Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman, dramaturge Martine Kei Green-Rogers, professor Brent Miles and actor Deborah Hay will examine King James VI of Scotland and I of England, his influence on Shakespeare and his lasting literary and cultural legacy.

The Spotlight: The Matriarchs

Thursday, September 17, 10:30 a.m.-noon
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre

Seana McKenna and Lucy Peacock will join Abbey for a conversation about portraying Shakespeare's women, from handmaidens to queens, and the challenges and discoveries that have shaped their work on and off the stage.

Old Miranda: A Play Reading

Friday, September 18, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre

The Forum will host a reading of Christine Horne's new one-act play Old Miranda, starring Chick Reid and Tom McCamus.

Set long after the events of The Tempest, the play finds an elderly Miranda living with Ferdinand and caring for her daughters and granddaughters as memories of Prospero's island and her earlier life return to her. A Q&A will follow the reading.

David Goldbloom and Steve Paikin

Saturday, September 19, 10:30 a.m.-noon
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre

Dr. David Goldbloom will sit down with journalist, biographer and documentary producer Steve Paikin, host of TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin, for a conversation about his career and personal journey.

Cena in Famiglia: An Italian Family Meal

Saturday, September 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre

Inspired by the Priore family's meal in Eduardo De Filippo's Saturday, Sunday, Monday, the Dinner Series event will celebrate Italian culinary traditions with courses prepared by chefs from Toronto's La Bruschetta. Tickets are available through September 2.

Do You Believe in Fairies?

Thursday, September 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre

University of Toronto associate professor Chester Scoville, novelist Kate Heartfield and actor Laura Condlln will explore the origins and evolution of fairy folklore, from goblins and elves to spirits, and how those traditions connect with works appearing on the Festival's stages this season.

Shakespeare in Conversation: James Shapiro and Antoni Cimolino

Friday, September 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon
Tom Patterson Theatre

Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro and Stratford Festival Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino will discuss why Shakespeare's plays continue to resonate, examining their characters, cultural influence and relevance to contemporary audiences.

Restoration for Whom? Questioning Class in Comedy

Saturday, September 26, 10:30 a.m.-noon
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre

The Tao of the World playwright and director Jovanni Sy 施崇梵, St. Mary's University assistant professor Matthew Risling, researcher and charity director Amani Hitimana and actor Agnes Tong 唐若馨 will examine English Restoration comedy and how The Tao of the World engages with and subverts its traditions, particularly around questions of class and access.

How Language Is Made

September 27, 10:30 a.m.-noon
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre

Ohio State University professor Hannibal Hamlin, University of Toronto professor Sali Tagliamonte and linguist Gretchen McCulloch will explore the season's range of linguistic traditions, including Shakespeare and Wilde's wordplay, Tolkien's constructed languages, Singaporean English in The Tao of the World and the politics of translation in The King James Bible Play.