The Festival
The Company began to take shape in 2002 after Deborah Smith of
Chesterville brought a small, self-produced, touring production of
Romeo and Juliet to the area. The community was charmed by
the idea of having live theatre in its midst and it was agreed that
the Company could utilize the outdoor amphitheatre for a full
production of The Tempest in the summer of 2003; the St.
Lawrence Shakespeare Festival was born.
In the summer of 2006, Ian Farthing was appointed
as the Festival's new Artistic Director and oversaw the expansion
of the theatre's activities to a season of two mainstage
Shakespeare productions, a full Sunday Series of events and an
education program.
With no other professional outdoor theatre in the St. Lawrence
Seaway area, the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival fulfills a key
role in the artistic life of the region. The unique riverside
setting combined with the high quality of the performances has
resulted in a 400% increase in attendance over the first seven
years.