Tanya Moiseiwitsch, the London-born scenic and costume designer who would become the founding designer of Canada's internationally-renowned Stratford Festival, died Feb. 18 in London, England, at the age of 88, according to the Ontario festival.

Romeo and Juliet, Tony Award winner Des McAnuff's first production as artistic director at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, begins May 7 at the Ontario festival's flagship space — the Festival Theatre.

The 15th annual Irene Sharaff Awards, honoring the art of costume design, are presented at the Hudson Theatre March 28.

The Theatre Development Fund has announced the 2008 recipients of the Irene Sharaff Awards, which recognize excellence in costume design for the stage.

Tom Patterson, the visionary Canadian who had the idea to create a theatre festival in the Ontario town of Stratford, died Feb. 23 at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto after a long illness, at age 84, the Stratford Festival announced.

Brian Bedford, celebrated in North America for his performances in plays by Moliere, will wear a crucifix around his neck in Tartuffe, opening Aug. 11 at the Festival Theatre of the Stratford Festival in Ontario.

Tony Award-winner Brian Bedford will play the pious Tartuffe at the Stratford Festival, his longtime artistic home in Ontario, in summer 2000.

The hardest part about time capsules is remembering to open them after a lot of time has passed. The Stratford Festival in Ontario completely forgot about theirs...until now.

On March 2, Theatre Development Fund will bestow lifetime achievement honors on two-time Tony winner Willa Kim, via the annual TDF Irene Sharaff Award for excellence in costume design. Suzy Benzinger will also be honored with The Young Master Award.

In 2003, those we said goodbye to included a groundbreaking stage and screen actress known for living and working by her own rules; an illustrator who captured the vivaciousness of live theatre with strokes of his pen; a British actor who was among a new generation of players when Osborne and Pinter were coming into their own; a Tony Award winning playwright who loved the underdog; a librettist whose work on the page was so confident it seemed to sing without music; and a tap-dance wizard who acted, sang and danced into Broadway, film and TV.

The British-born master costume builder was recruited by Tyrone Guthrie.