10:30 a.m. – noon | Lazaridis Hall | From $27

In a series of candid conversations among old friends, David Goldbloom, former chair of the Stratford Festival Board of Governors and Senior Medical Advisor at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, sits down with some leading advocates and academics to discuss their work and their lives – and maybe to reminisce a little about their youthful misadventures.

BOB RAE, August 21
For many decades, Bob Rae has been a prominent figure in Canadian and global politics, as Premier of Ontario and as a federal parliamentarian, including serving as interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He now represents Canada at the United Nations as its twenty-fifth Canadian ambassador. He is a long-standing fan of the Stratford Festival, and his wife, Arlene Perly Rae, is a former member of the Festival’s Board of Governors.

MERVON MEHTA, September 10
Mervon Mehta is the Executive Director of Performing Arts at the Royal Conservatory of Music. In a previous life, he was an actor, including at the Stratford Festival, where he appeared with Antoni Cimolino in a fabled production of Romeo and Juliet. Mervon’s journey through the performing arts, from theatre to music, as well as his thoughts on the arts in a postpandemic world, will make for a lively conversation.

ROSALIE ABELLA, September 11
Justice Abella retired from the Supreme Court of Canada in 2021 after 16 years, the first refugee and first Jewish woman appointed to Canada’s highest court. Known internationally for her intellectual rigour, her passion, and her compelling personal story, she is far from done. We will discuss the next steps in her career, her extraordinary journey, and her love of musical theatre.