The Stratford Archives

While visiting Stratford, I was able to visit the festival archives.  It was a great chance to hear about the history of the festival and the efforts both to preserve that history and to make it available to the public.  There was a display of items from productions past.  As it turned out, there were several relating to Hamlet, and photography was permitted.

Production stills and costume design sketches from past productions.

Design sketch for Gertrude's costume

Costumes from past productions, highlighting different directorial visions

Artifacts from past productions

One item of particular note was not included in the archive display.  Stratford keeps within the archives "Composite Scripts" for Shakespeare's canon.  The scripts, prepared from stage manager's notes, detail how each director has rendered the text in his particular production.  They allow subsequent directors to see what was done by a previous director, and they provide a fantastic historical document of the Stratford stage.  I was able to view the script for Hamlet, and it was a true highlight.  Each director's emendations are noted in the Shakespearean text with a different color ink.  It was easy to see which changes are consistent and which are unique.  (Cue the pool table!)  For a self-professed Hamlet nut, the trip to the archives provided a perfect denouement to the Stratford visit!