Stratford director Robin Phillips dies

Robin Phillips, the venerated Stratford Festival director, died in his sleep at his home on Saturday morning. He was 73.

His hard work, talent and teaching attracted aficionados and newcomers to the stage alike in the 1970s.

“He had a way of making the classics really speak to the time we’re in now. He had a way of making Shakespeare so clear and so compelling,” said Antoni Cimolino, the festival’s current artistic director.

“He taught so many people across the country — actors, directors, designers — about the potential for real beauty in the classics.”