Terry Fox Theatre

10 days ago, one of the most influential voices in Canadian theatre -- in theatre in general -- passed away. Michael Langham, the man who made the Stratford Shakespeare Festival into the theatrical force it has become, died at his home in Cranbrook, Kent, England, on Saturday the 15th of January, 2011, from a chest infection. He was 91 years old, and is survived by his wife, actress Helen Burns, his son, daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren.

Michael Langham was a native of England, born in 1919. He lived a rich and varied life that took him from study of law, to a five year stint as a prisoner of war in World War II, and finally to the Theatre. He ran several theatres in Great Britain, and was eventually brought to Canada by Tyrone Guthrie to be a part of the Stratford Festival. He served as the Stratford Festival's second Artistic Director, and carved out its permanent home. He is also credited with establishing the Stratford Music Festival, being a founder of the National Theatre School of Canada, and was instrumental in the creation of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Langham has mounted many famous theatrical productions, from the Stratford Festival to Guthrie Theatre, to Broadway. One such show (at the Stratford Festival) was Henry V with Christopher Plummer, whom he discovered and moulded, as he did with so many other mountains of talent, such as Kate Reid, William Hutt, Martha Henry, Barbara Byrne, Len Cariou, and many, many more. He also served as the head of the Drama Department at Julliard from 1979-1982. The video, below (from the Canadian Theatre Museum), shows Christopher Plummer speaking about Micahel Langham.

Michael Langham's first and last production directed for the Stratford Festival was his signature work, Love's Labour Lost; the first in 1961, the last in 2008. The Stratford Festival's 2011 season has been dedicated to his memory.