Amelia Hall ‘38

Amelia Hall and her mother came to Canada in 1921 through the Overseas Settlement Committee. After studying at the Ontario College of Education, she taught at the High School of Commerce in Ottawa, 1939–1948. While teaching, she also directed and acted with the Ottawa Drama League and during wartime summers studied at U.B.C. and Banff, performed in Shakespearean plays and, in 1946, attended Columbia University, New York.

In 1948 Amelia Hall left her teaching position to become a full–time actress and in 1949 was a joint founder of the Junior Theatre in Ottawa. The Glass Menagerie at Montreal Repertory Theatre launched her professional acting career. She served as President of the Stage Society, Ottawa, and joined the Canadian Repertory Theatre (CRT) Ottawa in 1949, and later co–managed the company with actor Sam Payne.

Amelia Hall’s long association with the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, from 1953 until her death in 1984, began with her role as female lead opposite Alex Guiness in The Tragedy of Richard III. She also worked in radio and television, appearing, for instance, in the CBC TV drama Jalna and the film Iceman. She was awarded a centennial medal in 1967 for her work in Canadian theatre and the Order of Canada in 1982.