The Shakespearean Theatre Conference

    

The 4th Shakespearean Theatre Conference will be held June 15-18, 2022, in Stratford, Ontario.  The conference offers an opportunity to think broadly and creatively about the past, present, and future of Tudor-Stuart drama, and this year places special emphasis on our broad theme of “Shakespeare in a Changing World.”  We will ask how the study and performance of Shakespearean drama might respond to the  rapid and very real changes we are witnessing, while also investigating the relationship of this drama to the similarly rapid changes of Shakespeare’s time.

                                                Plenary speakers:

                                        Antoni Cimolino (Artistic Director, Stratford Festival)

                                                     Brian Cummings (University of York)

                                          Alexa Alice Joubin (George Washington University)

The conference is a joint venture of the University of Waterloo and the Stratford Festival, and will bring together scholars and practitioners to talk about how performance influences scholarship and vice versa. It is the successor to the Elizabethan Theatre Conference, which the University of Waterloo hosted 17 times between 1968 and 2005.  Paper sessions will be held at the University of Waterloo’s Stratford campus, with plays and special events hosted by the Stratford Festival.  Special events include a reception Wednesday, June 15, at 7 p.m., which will serve as the public launch of Shakespeare On Stage and Off (McGill-Queen’s University Press), a volume of essays drawn mainly from previous conferences; and a banquet, Friday at 6 p.m.  Both events will take place in Lazaridis Hall, inside the Tom Patterson Theatre building.

Please note: The 4th Shakespearean Theatre Conference, originally scheduled for June 2021, was postponed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will observe all Government of Canada, Government of Ontario, University of Waterloo, and Stratford Festival pandemic restrictions and protocols in place at the time of the conference, and we will let participants know what these are closer to the conference dates. If it proves necessary to postpone the conference again, we will do so no later than six weeks before the scheduled dates. Because attending live performances is an important part of the conference experience, we will not move the conference online.

Program

The Shakespearean Theatre Conference Program

Registration 

Conference registration includes admission to all conference sessions, coffee breaks, and lunches, as well as to the opening reception/book launch. Fees are as follows:

Before June 1:      $150    Regular
                                $75      Graduate Students and Ph.D.’s without full-time employment
                                Free     University of Waterloo students*

After June 1:          $225    Regular
                                 $150    Graduate Students and Ph.D.’s without full-time employment
                                 Free     University of Waterloo students*

*University of Waterloo students may attend this event for free, but should contact Ken Graham or Alysia Kolentsis to indicate that they plan to attend.

Tickets to the conference banquet may be purchased at the time of registration for $40 per person. Follow the link below to register and to purchase banquet tickets. Please also let us know if you plan to attend the reception by registering for this ticketed free event.

https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/Learn/UniversityAndCollege/shakespearetheatreconference

Plays

We have reserved blocks of tickets for the performances of Hamlet Thursday evening, Richard III Friday evening, and All’s Well That Ends Well Saturday evening. Tickets are available at two price levels, $49 + tax and $63 + tax, depending on seat location. Purchasing these is a two-step process. You must first register for the conference, after which you will be sent a promo code allowing you to purchase up to two tickets per performance through the Stratford Festival. You will also need to set up a customer account at the Festival site (this is easily done). If you wish to see additional plays or musicals while you are in Stratford, you will need to purchase tickets to these from the Festival at the regular prices.

Accommodations

We have reserved blocks of rooms with a special conference rate at the following hotels, which are arranged below in order of distance from the UW Stratford Campus. Conference attendees need to mention the Shakespearean Theatre Conference at the Stratford Festival when booking. The first two hotels are within walking distance of the UW Campus, the conference site). Quote: “Shakespeare Theatre Conference” when booking to receive the discounted rates. Hotel rooms need to be booked by May 15th, 2022 in order to guarantee these rooms/rates:

Parlour Inn (available June 17 only)
Room rate: starting from $169 CDN (rate not yet confirmed)
Website: www.theparlour.ca
Phone: 1-877-728-4036

Queen’s Inn
Room rate: Varies, 10% discount for conference attendees

Website: www.queensinnstratford.ca
Email: queensinn@rogers.com
Phone: 1-800-461-6450

Best Western Arden Park Hotel (available only June 15 and 16)
Room rate: $189 CDN
Website: www.ardenpark.on.ca
Email: reservations@ardenpark.ca
Phone: 1.877.788.8818

Festival Inn (Quality Inn)
Room rate: From $169 CDN
Website: www.festivalinnstratford.com
Phone: 1.519.273.1150

The budget accommodations nearest to Stratford at this time are dormitory-style rooms in Waterloo, 40 km from Stratford.  Anyone staying at the two options below will need to arrange their own transportation to and from Stratford.   

St. Jerome’s Residence (Waterloo – 40 km from Stratford)

Room rate: $70 CDN (single, shared bath) / $46.50 per person (double, shared bath)

Website: https://www.sju.ca/residence-facilities

Contact Alysia Kolentsis (amkolentsis@uwaterloo.ca) to arrange this option. Please indicate dates and room type (single/double) in your message, with “SJU Residence” in the subject line.

Hotel Laurier (Wilfrid Laurier University, King Street Residence – 40 km from Stratford)

Room rate: $65 CDN (single, shared bath) / $86 (single, private bath) / $57.50 per person (double, private bath).  See website for additional options.

Website: https://www.wlu.ca/information-for/community-members/conference-services/hotel-laurier/index.html

For a comprehensive listing of Stratford B&Bs please check out the Stratford Festival’s accommodations booking service here, visit Stratford Tourism Alliance, or visit Stratford and Area Bed & Breakfast Association.

For further accommodation, travel and dining information, we suggest you explore information on the Stratford Festival website.

More Accommodation options can also be found on Stratford Tourism.

Conference organizers

  • Kenneth J.E. Graham, Department of English, University of Waterloo
  • Alysia Kolentsis, Department of English, St. Jerome’s University
  • Katherine Laing, Interim Director of Education, Stratford Festival

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