Emma Smith, a Shakespearean scholar, told a room full of Stratford Festival attendees a brazen claim about Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies, commonly referred to as the First Folio – and the Festival City itself.
“We would not have Shakespeare, sort of capital letter Shakespeare … without the First Folio,” Smith said. “I don't think you would have your festival. And I don't think – to be absolutely honest – you'd be called Stratford either.”
On Nov. 8 of this year, the First Folio, perhaps the most important book to Stratford, turns 400 years old.
The book is the first collection of Shakespeare’s plays written for publication. Containing 36 plays, it was prepared after the Bard’s death and was published in 1623. Without the volume, it is estimated that half of his dramatic work would have been lost.
Smith, a professor of Shakespeare studies at the University of Oxford, phoned in on ZOOM for a conversation with artist and scholar Dean Gabourie for the Stratford Festival’s “Celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the First Folio.”
Smith and Gabourie spoke on all things First Folio in Lazaridis Hall of the Tom Patterson Theatre this past weekend, discussing how it was made, who endeavoured to have it published, and why its publication was something of an oddity in itself.
Smith also regaled the audience with how it came to be that she had the privilege of identifying an original First Folio herself – a unique qualification.
In 2016, Smith was called to Mount Stuart House, an estate on the Isle of Bute, Scotland, to verify if their copy of the First Folio was legitimate. She did not have high hopes as the book had been divided into three volumes, a strange distinction from the other 234 known copies.
Before coming to the collection, Smith thought the book was a 19th century reproduction. Once she began to take a more scholarly examination, however, she found the work 100 per cent real.
Smith shared one of the reasons why there are so few publicly confirmed copies of the book. Insuring and providing security for such a book is costly to say the least.
When Smith was discussing such issues with Mount Stuart House, she was shocked to find them relatively laissez-faire on the hypothetical subject of someone attempting to steal the book.
“They said, ‘don't worry, we'll just stop the ferry,’” Smith laughed.
Smith and Gabourie’s conversation was a part of the global celebration of the First Folio this year. From the original Stratford-Upon-Avon to the National Library of Israel to Stratford, Ontario, events, discussions, and performances are planned to commemorate the book.
Their discussion also kicked off the Scholars and Experts Week of the 2023 Meighen Forum season. It was the last of the themed weeks at the forum, which included Pride Week, Season Deep Dive Week, CBC Ideas Week, Global Theatre Week and Readers and Writers Week.
Although the 2024 Stratford Festival Season has been announced, the next Meighen Forum season has not yet, though the themed weeks are being eyed to return.
For a full list of the 2023 Meighen Forum events, both past and upcoming, visit here.
