Donald Sutherland is a household name – a Canadian actor whose film career spans more than five decades. He has established himself as one of the most respected, prolific and versatile actors to come from Canada and he got his start with Hart House Theatre.
While attending the University of Toronto, Mr. Sutherland was very interested in the Drama program and took part in many productions with the UC Follies at Hart House Theatre. One of his notable performances while at the Theatre was his work in the 1957 production of The Tempest where Mr. Sutherland played the role of Stephano to critical acclaim.
Mr. Sutherland described his passion for Hart House Theatre: “It’s a theatre with arms that embrace you, comfort you, push you, applaud you. It gives birth to people who make theatre. It nurtures them. It guides them. It sets them free and they wear the mantle of that theatre for the rest of their lives.”
Donald Sutherland’s appreciation of Hart House Theatre lives on through his endowment of the Donald Sutherland Award for Best Performance, an honour awarded to the student that achieved the highest quality of delivery, character development and interaction in the annual U of T Drama Festival.
