Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Vancouver International Festival
Summer festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, founded by Nicholas Goldschmidt in 1958 and terminated in 1968.
Modelled on European festivals, the concept was to bring high art to the coast. The first performance was an opera but the first season also included theatre from France's Comédie-Française as well as Lister Sinclair's The World of the Wonderful Dark.
The festival's fiscal and artistic policies came under a barrage of criticism, and between 1963 and 1968 it went through four artistic directors.
By 1965 it was no longer "International" and presented three American works of musical theatre.
Though the festival had some success, its deficit climbed past $300,000.
Profile by Gaetan Charlebois.
Last updated 2022-02-19
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The Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia web site was originally conceived and developed in 1996 by Gaetan Charlebois—theatre critic, playwright, and actor.
