Patterson, (Harry) Tom 1920-2005

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born June 11, 1920, in Stratford, Ontario, Canada; died of pneumonia February 23, 2005, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Theatrical producer and author. Patterson was the founder of what is now the hugely popular and critically praised Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario. After serving in the Canadian Army as part of its dental corps during World War II, he graduated from the University of Toronto in 1948. He then took a job as an associate editor for Maclean-Hunter Publishers, and was assigned to the publisher's magazine Civic Administration. It was while working on this publication that he came up with the idea for a Shakespeare festival in his hometown of Stratford. At the time, the little Ontario community on the banks of the Avon River was an isolated, economically depressed area that merely shared the names of the city and river associated with the famous bard of Stratford-on-Avon, England. Patterson believed that this could be used to the advantage of the town by producing an annual theatrical festival. The Stratford council was supportive of the idea, though some people criticized the plan as impractical. Patterson, though, quieted naysayers by enlisting the help of Shakespearean director Tyrone Guthrie and theatrical designer Tanya Moiseiwitsch. Acting talents Sir Alec Guinness and Irene Worth also performed at the first annual festival, and the event became an instant critical success. As general manager of the festival from 1952 until 1967, Patterson developed the event into the biggest and most popular theatrical festival in North America. In addition to the works of Shakespeare, he later added productions of dramas and comedies by other playwrights such as George Bernard Shaw, and for a time also tried to add a music festival. The Stratford Festival became the town's savior, and it is now a prosperous tourist attraction that has helped to spark a renaissance in the Canadian arts. All this from a man who, back when he first started the festival, declared he knew nothing about Shakespeare. After leaving Stratford in 1967, Patterson moved to Toronto and became a freelance producer. His other credits include founding Canadian Players Ltd. and the Dawson City Gold Rush Festival, and he was the founding director of the Canadian Theatre Centre and founding president of the National Theatre School of Canada. He held positions as vice president of Mediavision Inc. in 1973, the Classic Christmas Company in 1981, and Toronto Theatre Workshop Productions from 1985 until 1987; he was also vice president and treasurer of Guild Hall of Canada in 1980, directed the Westover Inn in St. Mary's, Ontario, in 1987, and was a producer for the 1956 film Oedipus Rex and the 1962 Broadway musical Foxy. Patterson was the coauthor of First State: The Making of the Stratford Festival (1987) and author of They Never Rationed Courage: Letters Home from the War, 1940-1945 (1995).

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Los Angeles Times, February 25, 2005, p. B11.

New York Times, February 25, 2005, p. C19.

Washington Post, February 25, 2005, p. B6.

ONLINE

CBC Arts, http://www.cbc.ca/ (February 23, 2005).