From Cultural Tourists to Shakespeare Fans

The Stratford Festival and the Construction of Audience

Authors

M. G. Aune California University of Pennsylvania

Abstract

While the Stratford Festival of Canada has relied consistently on high quality productions of classical, contemporary, and musical theater, its approach to marketing itself has changed dramatically. The first decade of the 21st century has provided new challenges to both recruiting and maintaining audiences. By 2008, it became apparent that the appeal of cultural tourism as a means of drawing playgoers to a destination Shakespeare site was no longer enough. To attract new audiences, the Festival began a number of digital initiatives including a multimedia app, a social media version of Romeo and Juliet, and several online games. This article examines some of these initiatives, focusing on what they reveal about how the Festival saw (and sees) its audience(s). More than simply play-goers in search of Shakespeare's cultural capital, the Festival addressed its audiences as fans of Shakespeare and of the Festival. It provided opportunities for them to engage productively rather than passively. In so doing, the Festival contributed (and continues to contribute) to an understanding of Shakespeare as the subject not just of study, but of fandom.

Author Biography

M. G. Aune, California University of Pennsylvania

M. G. Aune is professor of English at California University of Pennsylvania. His research and teaching interests include Shakespeare and popular culture, film, and travel writing. His articles and reviews have appeared in Shakespeare Bulletin, Shakespeare, and Early Modern Literary Studies.