Martha Henry to lead Langham Workshop for Classical Direction, as David Latham retires

Martha Henry to lead Michael Langham Workshop

for Classical Direction, as David Latham retires

This season's participants announced

February 8, 2017… Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino is pleased to announce that Martha Henry will take on the directorship of the Stratford Festival's Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction. Founding Director David Latham has decided to retire from the position he has held since 2009, having built an unparalleled program on the art of directing classical work.

"After seven years of leadership as our founding Director of the Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction, David Latham has decided to retire from the role," says Mr. Cimolino. "Through his careful course design and inspirational mentoring of the participant directors, David has made the Langham Workshop a vital training resource within Canadian theatre. I'm deeply grateful to him and happy to say that he will continue to serve as a valued member of our coaching and training staff at the Festival. "I'm delighted to announce that Martha Henry has agreed, after a decade with the Birmingham Conservatory, to lead the Langham Workshop, beginning this season. Martha's experience with a long list of extraordinary directors, including Michael Langham himself, as well as her own work as one of Canada's finest stage directors, makes her exceptionally qualified for this important position. I'm in Martha's debt for her acceptance of this challenging leadership role at the Festival. Her talent, skills and wisdom will make an invaluable contribution to the development of Canadian theatre directors working in the classics."

Ms Henry's relationship with the Stratford Festival, now in its sixth decade, has been crucial to the theatre's success. As Director of the Birmingham Conservatory from 2007 to 2016, she has trained dozens of the country's most promising classical actors, and mentored and inspired countless others throughout her career. A Companion of the Order of Canada, a Member of the Order of Ontario and a recipient of the Governor General's Lifetime Achievement Award, Ms Henry has performed in almost 70 productions in her 43 seasons at Stratford and has directed a dozen more. She has served as Artistic Director of the Grand Theatre, and has directed for the Shaw Festival, Canadian Stage and other Canadian theatres. Her highly acclaimed production of All My Sons in 2016 was seen as one of the Festival's triumphs. This year she will be directing Twelfth Night at the Festival Theatre.

Mr. Latham's contributions have been similarly impactful. He has directed, taught or acted in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S. He is a Master Teacher and directs and teaches regularly at the Birmingham Conservatory, the National Theatre School and the Globe Conservatory. Mr. Latham, the Festival's long-standing Director of Theatre Training, was Principal of the Birmingham Conservatory, prior to launching the Langham Workshop, and also served as Associate Artist. He was Dean of the VCA School of Drama in Melbourne, Australia, and Director of the Vancouver Playhouse Acting School. The bulk of his Stratford career, which stretches over 16 seasons, has focused on training, though he also directed several memorable productions, including 2007's Othello, 2004's Cymbeline, 2003's Agamemnon and 2002's The Two Noble Kinsmen.

Since the founding of the Langham Workshop, Mr. Latham has mentored dozens of artists, who will help form the bedrock of the new generation of Canadian directors. Those who have passed through the program include Mitchell Cushman, who is directing this season's Treasure Island; Alan Dilworth, who is directing The Virgin Trial; Lezlie Wade, who is directing HMS Pinafore; Graham Abbey, who conceived and adapted last season's Breath of Kings and is Artistic Director of Groundling Theatre; Kevin Bennett, Christine Brubaker and Krista Jackson, who are directing at the Shaw Festival this season. Several Workshop members have gone on to leadership roles in Canadian theatre, including Thomas Morgan Jones, now Artistic Director of Theatre New Brunswick; Rona Waddington, Artistic Director of the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival; Kate Newby, Artistic Director of Handsome Alice; Esther Jun, Assistant Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre; and Andrea Donaldson, Associate Artistic Director of Tarragon. Others have taken the skills learned in the program back to their companies, including Andrew Shaver, Artistic Director of Sidemart Theatrical Grocery; Aaron Willis, co-artistic director of Convergence Theatre; Ravi Jain, Artistic Director of Why Not Theatre; Kevin Hammond, Artistic Director of Humber River Shakespeare; and Kristen van Ginhoven, Artistic Director of WAM in Lee, Massachusetts. Many more are actively directing across Canada and in the U.S.

The Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction offers early- and mid-career directors an unparalleled opportunity to gain critical insight into mastering the art of directing classical work at a theatre of significant complexity and scope.

This year, the program welcomes three new participants – Michelle Boulet, Sarah Kitz and Jonathan Seinen – as well as three directors returning for their second year – Charlotte Gowdy, Peter Pasyk, and James Wallis.

"The Langham Workshop offers a wonderful exchange of ideas," says Mr. Cimolino. "These young directors bring to us the culture of their work, while we share with them the techniques that have evolved over the Festival's rich history. It is our hope that they will carry these traditions forward, ensuring a sound future for classical theatre in this country and beyond."