Meighen Forum Events: July
Stratford, ON… We’re turning up the heat at the Meighen Forum this July! The month kicks off with our Season Deep Dive Week, where artists and creatives pull back the curtain on the magic happening behind the scenes at the Stratford Festival. Next up is CBC Ideas Week, with host Nahlah Ayed exploring this year’s theme of War and Peace through five thought-provoking discussions. Mid-month, we feature a special album release concert by Stratford’s own Dayna Manning followed by two unique events, The Words of War: A Churchill & Shakespeare Cabaret and Inside the Stories of Murdoch Mysteries. Wrapping up the month, the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones returns with insightful discussions on the themes and ideas shaping the 2025 season.
Season Deep Dive Week (June 30 – July 6) shines a spotlight on the artists and creatives behind our festival. Through intimate conversations, we uncover the creative forces behind the curtain – our esteemed composers, sound designers, gardeners and understudies – whose talents bring sensational theatre experiences to life.
CBC Ideas Week (July 7 – 13) welcomes host Nahlah Ayed back to the Meighen Forum for a compelling new series of five in-depth discussions. This year, the series explores four pivotal peace efforts from the past three decades, examining both their successes and shortcomings to uncover the lessons they offer for the future.
Chicago Tribune chief theatre critic Chris Jones returns to the Forum to host two stimulating conversations inspired by our 2025 season. In the first, he is joined by Macbeth’s Tom McCamus and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ Jonathan Goad to explore our enduring fascination with morally complex characters. In the second, he takes audiences behind the scenes of Annie, charting the evolution of this beloved comic strip icon and its transformation from page to stage.
July’s Meighen Forum also includes crowd favourites such as Peer into the Playbill, Meet the Festival, Monday Night Music and exclusive backstage tours and song and dance workshops. Visit https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/Forum for details.
Season Deep Dive Week
June 30 to July
Events include:
Composers and Sound Designers for the Stage
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Friday, July 4
10:30 a.m. to noon
Music is not just a core component of musicals. In plays, a cello underscore can evoke a sense of melancholy for a character, or a chorus of trumpets might announce an approaching royal entrance. From music to sound effects, the creative and technical work of composers and sound designers translates theatrical works into multi-sensory experiences. Theatre enthusiasts will delight in hearing professionals Debashis Sinha (Anne of Green Gables sound designer) and Verne Good (2024’s Twelfth Night sound designer) discuss their audio artistry while they learn how the subtle tranquility of birds chirping off stage compared to the rattling a scene gets from a jackhammer thumping throughout it, is designed to contribute to overall storytelling. The conversation will be moderated by Associate Forum Coordinator, James Hyett.
History and Design of Shakespearean Gardens
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Saturday, July 5
10:30 a.m. to noon
Founding Artistic Director Tyrone Guthrie said, “The tent must have gardens around it. We don’t want people to think it’s a circus.” Since then, gardens have been a defining element of the Stratford Festival, drawing on a tradition of gardens stretching back to Shakespeare’s day. During a conversation with Stratford Festival Head Gardener Joelle Bulbrook, the Festival’s former Head Gardener and designer of the Elizabethan Garden, Harry Jongerden, and University of Western Ontario Professor of English and Cultural Theory Allan Pero, audiences will be taken back through history to learn how this living art form has evolved from Elizabethan times through to the beauty of our Festival grounds. The panel will be moderated by M.J. Kidnie, Professor of English at the University of Western Ontario, who has published widely on Shakespearean performance, adaptation and textual studies.
Understanding Understudies: The Vital Role of Understudies in Theatre
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Sunday, July 6
10:30 a.m. to noon
What is an understudy? What is a swing? This in-depth conversation will feature members of the 2025 company and production teams sharing their own understudy stories. Learn about the discipline, dedication and commitment that allow these extraordinary artists to seamlessly step into a role, becoming the heroes who ensure that the show goes on. Speakers include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels stage manager Maxwell T. Wilson and swing, co-dance captain Anthony MacPherson, along with assistant director of The Winter’s Tale and Stratford Festival casting associate, Aaron Jan, and moderator Monique Lund, assistant director of Annie.
CBC Ideas Week: War and Peace
July 7 to July 13
What does it take to create peace? What ideas and values can knit a society back together – or at least make it possible for enemies to lay down their arms and live side by side? Past peace deals offer badly-needed models for our own time, but the process of making peace is often imperfect, and at worst, peace agreements can cement injustice and make future conflict all but inevitable.
This series, moderated by Ideas host Nahlah Ayed, explores four pivotal attempts to make peace over the last three decades, and asks what we can learn from the best – and worst – thinking of the past. The series culminates in an exploration of what it takes to make peace in the fraught context of the 21st century.
The Good Friday Agreement
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Wednesday, July 9
10:30 a.m. to noon
Over three sleepless nights in 1998 – after years of failed negotiations – unionists and nationalists hammered out the final details of the Good Friday Agreement, bringing peace to Northern Ireland. It was a “masterclass in constructive ambiguity” that allowed different factions to hold on to core convictions while committing to resolve conflicts through peaceful means. Nahlah Ayed and guests Alan McConnell, David Wilson and Branka Marijan discuss the agreement that’s still hailed as a gold standard for addressing intractable conflicts worldwide.
The Oslo Accords
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Thursday, July 10
10:30 a.m. to noon
When Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat met in Washington, D.C. in 1993 to sign the first Oslo Accords, it was supposed to usher in a new era of peace and lay the groundwork for a Palestinian state. But three decades later, the Oslo Accords are primarily remembered as a failure, and the dream of peace is farther away than ever. Nahlah Ayed and guests Michael Molloy, Renée Worringer, Jeffrey Wilkinson and Raja Khouri discuss what went wrong, and what lessons the Oslo Accords hold for the future.
The Dayton Accords
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Friday, July 11
10:30 a.m. to noon
In 1995, rival Bosnian factions met in Dayton, Ohio to negotiate a ceasefire to a brutal war and decide on a new border. Today, the agreement is still holding – but only just. Nationalist fervor, genocide denial and the ghosts of the past still threaten a fragile peace, and the Dayton Accords are remembered as “a synonym for inertia, neglect and despair.” Nahlah Ayed and guests Payam Akhavan, Izabela Steflja and Branka Marijan consider the legacy of Dayton, the unresolved questions that remain today, and the decision to pursue peace before justice.
Peace, Truth, and Reconciliation in South Africa
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Saturday, July 12
10:30 a.m. to noon
After Nelson Mandela was released from prison, the South African apartheid government and its opponents began negotiating the terms of the transition from apartheid to democracy. The 1991 National Peace Accords set a date for the first democratic election, established an interim constitution and, controversially, promised some form of amnesty to perpetrators. They also paved the way for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that’s still praised as a model for healing – but according to Desmond Tutu, Mandela’s successors left the process “scandalously unfinished.” Nahlah Ayed and guests Kagiso Lesego Molope and Prakash Diar consider what other countries, including Canada, can learn from South Africa about how to dismantle injustice and build truly equitable, multiracial democracies.
Making Peace in the 21st Century
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Sunday, July 21
10:30 a.m. – noon
What can we learn from the successes and failures of the past about how to create a more peaceful world, from Gaza to Ukraine and beyond? What ideas do Indigenous leaders in Canada bring to the work of peace and rebuilding? Nahlah Ayed and guests Cesar Jaramillo, Beverly Jacobs and Payam Akhavan explore what peacemaking means in our own time, and try to chart a course for the future.
The Chicago Tribune at Stratford
July 25 to July 26
Award-winning journalist and chief theatre critic for the Chicago Tribune Chris Jones returns to the Meighen Forum to discuss the themes and ideas that resonate in our 2025 season.
Our Fascination with the Morally Corrupt
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Friday, July 25
10:30 a.m. to noon
Why are we drawn to characters who lack kindness or place their egos above all else? Where do morals reside within a character? How do characters navigate the line between desire and necessity in a play? Join theatre Critic Chris Jones for an engaging discussion with two veteran Festival artists, Tom McCamus and Jonathan Goad, both exploring what it means to do wrong this season in Macbeth and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels respectively, as they consider our love for hating villains.
Little Orphan Annie: From Poem to Musical
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Saturday, July 26
10:30 a.m. to noon
Join us for an unforgettable dive into the world of Annie! From James Whitcomb Riley’s original poem to Harold Gray’s beloved 1924 comic strip and the hit musical that captured hearts everywhere, Annie’s transformation from page to stage is a remarkable journey through American pop culture. Don’t miss this exciting event where renowned theatre critic Chris Jones will discuss the stories and the fascinating evolution of an icon with Chicago Tribune Visual Reporter Kori Rumore and Senior Visual Editor Marianne Mather. Whether you are an aspiring young performer or a longtime Annie fan, this family-friendly event is your chance to discover the layers of history behind one of the most enduring characters in entertainment.
Other Events Coming this Month
The Words of War: A Churchill & Shakespeare Cabaret
Featuring Geraint Wyn Davies and Friends
Studio Theatre
Monday, July 7
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Join us for a captivating evening dedicated to exploring the life of Winston Churchill. Through conversation about the 2025 themes of war, love and harmony, which happened to define Churchill’s legacy, we will peel back the layers of the historical figure’s complex character. Curated and directed by Richard Ouzounian, this event promises an engaging blend of storytelling, music and insightful commentary, featuring a talented cast led by Geraint Wyn Davies (Autolycus in the 2025 season production of The Winter’s Tale) with Laura Condlln (Miss Aggie Mannigan in Annie), Jonathan Goad (Lawrence Jameson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and Benjamin Kersey on piano.
Though Churchill was no saint, his journey as a leader was marked by triumphs and tribulations that share their DNA with Shakespearean drama. Peer into Churchill’s world through his own eyes, by way of speeches, diaries and letters, interwoven with the timeless verses of Shakespeare. The evening’s words will find joyful companionship in music hall songs and Gilbert & Sullivan—a true reflection of Churchill’s own love for the arts.
Enjoy reflection and laughter while gaining a deeper understanding of an iconic individual and the parallels between his pursuit of meaning and inspiration and that of Shakespeare’s. A truly unique exploration of history, literature and the human spirit!
Dayna Manning Album Release Concert: Field Notes
Tom Patterson Theatre
Monday, July 14
7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Discover the newest melodies from Stratford’s beloved Juno-nominated singer-songwriter, Dayna Manning, as she pushes the boundaries of her soaring voice and fingerpicking skills to new heights on her eighth studio album, Field Notes. True to form, Manning will be joined by some of Stratford’s finest musicians and her close friends.
Peer into The Playbill
Origins of the Orphan Literary Trope
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Thursday, July 17
10:30 a.m. to noon
In this informative discussion, we’ll dive into the inspiration behind Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and uncover the origins of Annie. A celebration of child protagonists in literature and beyond, the discussion brings together Professor Mavis Reimer, from the University of Winnipeg, and Professor Michelle Ann Abate from Ohio State University to explore the historical threads in these stories and how they have been woven into the fabric of early 20th-century culture with lasting legacy. The panel will be moderated by this season’s Miss Hannigan (Annie) Laura Condlln.
The Art of Movement and Choreography for the Stage
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Thursday, July 24
10:30 a.m. to noon
Join choreographer Stephanie Graham, dancer Sarah O’Brecht (co-founders of Theatre Making Movement), and Adrienne Gould, Stratford Festival choreographer and movement coach as well as a former actor, as they explore the vital role of movement in theatre. From a Shakespearean battle march to the iconic “Exit, pursued by a bear” in The Winter’s Tale, movement directors enhance physical storytelling and deepen emotional connections between actors and audiences. Discover how they choreograph movement beyond dance to elevate theatrical performances.
Celebrated Speakers
Celebrating Oscar Peterson at 100
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Friday, July 18
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Join us for a captivating journey through the life and career of the legendary Oscar Peterson. This unique event will feature rare footage of Oscar Peterson, personal stories and performance video clips. With special guests, including Kelly Peterson, the evening will delve into Oscar’s artistic journey through personal anecdotes, providing a deeper connection to his enduring legacy. This celebration hosted by Lee Mergner is part of the global festivities honouring Oscar Peterson’s 100th birthday in 2025.
Inside the Story of Murdoch Mysteries
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Saturday, July 19
10:30 a.m. to noon
After attending the Meighen Forum in 2023, Murdoch Mysteries creator and award-winning author Maureen Jennings was inspired to write a Shakespearean episode of Murdoch Mysteries – “Shakespeare’s Beard”.
In this exclusive event, Maureen Jennings, director Laurie Lynd, cast member Daniel Maslany (Detective Llewellyn Watts), Festival company member Andrew Chown (who plays actor Allen Courtland in the episode) and Christina Jennings, Chair and President of Shaftesbury, the production company behind Murdoch Mysteries, discuss the beloved Canadian television series, the inspiration behind the storylines, characters and Shakespearean influence. The panel is moderated by Festival actor and former Murdoch Mysteries guest star, Laura Condlln.
Monday Night Music
Guitars From The Pit
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Monday, July 21
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Kevin Barrett, Terry McKenna, Dave Thompson and Michael McClennan have played in the “pit” orchestras for dozens of shows over several decades, both in Stratford and elsewhere. Hear what happens when they go “off book.”
Special Lobby Talk
Mars: The Astrological Key to Macbeth
Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Thursday, July 31
10:30 a.m. to noon
Discover the hidden astrological influences woven into Shakespeare’s works! Renowned speaker and author Priscilla Costello, M.A., will illuminate how Shakespeare’s knowledge of astrology shaped his characters and inspired his storytelling. In this captivating talk, Costello reveals how an understanding of Mars brings new layers of meaning to Macbeth while exploring Venus’s sidelined role—and her pivotal presence in The Winter’s Tale. Join us for an eye-opening journey into the celestial symbolism of the Bard’s timeless creations.
