Vale Atque Ave or Wither Stratford?
The Latin scholars among you may recognize that headline as an inversion of the more traditional “Ave Atque Vale” (Hail and Farewell).
I refer, of course, to the upcoming changing of the guard at the Stratford Festival, where Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino will be stepping down after the 2026 season and passing the reins to . . . whom?
I for one will be sorry to see him go. Cimolino is, in my estimation, the preeminent interpreter of Shakespeare in North America and he has served the Festival well during his tenure.
Perhaps it’s way too early to be mulling his successor, but obsessive fan boy that I am I can’t help myself.
I have for quite some time put my bets on Kimberley Rampersad, Associate Artistic Director at Shaw. An unfortunate misstep with King Lear at the Festival a few seasons back aside (the death of her father robbed her of adequate prep time), she is a solid director, as evidenced by Shaw productions like Man and Superman and The Amen Corner.
She also has the advantage of having worked in a managerial capacity at a major theatre festival with all the institutional and financial savvy that such a role implies. She seemed the obvious choice
Now comes the news that Weyni Mengesha has unexpectedly stepped down as Artistic Director at Soulpepper in Toronto. Eyebrows were raised, mine among them.
The word is that she wants to spend more time with her family and also to supervise the tour of her revival of Kim’s Convenience in the Evil Empire…. er, excuse me, I mean the United States.
Well, Kim’s Convenience wraps up at ACT’s Geary Theatre in San Francisco on October 19, 2025. That means that Mengesha could be in Stratford in plenty of time to buckle down to the task of planning the 2027 season.
While not primarily known as a Shakespearean director, Mengesha did direct Stratford’s history play mash up, Breath of Kings, in 2016, and her non-classic reputation is impeccable.
Of course, Soulpepper is not a major operation on a par with Shaw or Stratford, but as far as I know her stewardship there has been exemplary.
So who will it be? Stratford is overdue for a woman at the helm. The last was the late and much lamented Marti Maraden, who was just one of a triumvirate that lasted a scant season. And Stratford has never been lead by a person of colour. That time has come, at least so say I.
A search for the next Artistic Director is under way and Cimolino’s successor will be announced sometime in the Fall. I’d love to start a pool but I fear there are laws that preclude that kind of fun. What say you?
[image: Soulpepper Theatre Company]
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