Bruce Swerdfager (12 March 1928 – 4 September 2007) was a Canadian actor and theatre manager.

Career

Swerdfager was born in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. At age 15, Swerdfager began acting on radio at CKCO and

CFRA CFRA is a news/talk formatted radio station in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. The station broadcasts on the assigned frequency of 580 kHz. CFRA's studios are located in the Bell Media Building on George Street in Downtown Ottawa ...

in Ottawa. He was an active member of the

Ottawa Little Theatre The Ottawa Little Theatre, originally called the Ottawa Drama League at its inception in 1913, is the longest continuously running community theatre in Canada, and one of the oldest in North America. Based in Canada's capital city, it owns its ow ...

before being named Best Supporting Actor at the

Dominion Drama Festival The Dominion Drama Festival was an organisation in Canada that sought to promote amateur theatre across the country. It lasted, in one form or another, from 1932 until 1978. Founding The Dominion Drama Festival (DDF) was devised in 1932 as a wa ...

in 1951. While working as a typewriter salesman, he auditioned for

Tyrone Guthrie Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 – 15 May 1971) was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at his ...

and was selected as a member of the Stratford Festival company. In later life he said; “Who would have guessed the Stratford Festival would outlast the typewriter?“ With William Hutt he received the first Guthrie Award and used the funds to travel to

The United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

to study theatre in 1954–55. On his return to Stratford he rose through the ranks becoming company manager, theatre and company manager, comptroller and ultimately general manager. On stage he was a founding member of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada and as general manager of the festival from 1972 until 1976 he took it from a million-dollar deficit to a half-million-dollar surplus. He also served as company manager of th
Canadian Players
His survey of all Canadian theatres for the

Canada Council The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal i ...

inspired national theater touring across the country. He later ran the

Dallas Theater Center The Dallas Theater Center is a major regional theater in Dallas, Texas, United States. It produces classic, contemporary and new plays and was the 2017 Tony Award recipient for Best Regional Theater. Dallas Theater Center produces its original w ...

and the

St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts The St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts is a performing arts theatre complex located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Situated on Front Street one block east of Yonge Street, it was the City of Toronto's official centennial project, commemorat ...

. Swerdfager died of complications from diabetes in 2007 in Stratford, Ontario. On his death, the Honourable

Josée Verner Josée Verner, (born December 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician. She represented the electoral district of Louis-Saint-Laurent in the House of Commons of Canada from 2006 to 2011 as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. She also served ...

Minister of Canadian Heritage, said; “The Canadian theatre community has lost a valuable member with the death of Bruce Swerdfager. An original member of the Stratford Festival acting company, Swerdfager also served the Festival as general manager and twice oversaw reconstruction of its Avon Theatre. A recipient of the Stratford Festival’s Tyrone Guthrie Award, this man of arts and passion made lasting contributions to theatre in Canada, which included producing an assessment of theatre facilities across the country. His dedication to theatre in Canada and to his colleagues in the field was further demonstrated by his work to improve wages and working conditions for actors and stage managers. He will long be remembered as an influential figure in the world of Canadian theatre.” His daughter, Ann Swerdfager, is the head of public relations for the Stratford Festival.

Honours

* Tyrone Guthrie Award in 1954 *

Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'argent de la reine Elizabeth II) is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is p ...

in 1977Theatre actor, administrator Bruce Swerdfager dies at 79
Retrieved 20 February 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swerdfager, Bruce 1928 births 2007 deaths Canadian male stage actors Canadian male Shakespearean actors Canadian theatre managers and producers Male actors from Ottawa People from Stratford, Ontario