Tom Hendry on John Hirsh (Part 5 of 6)
Channel: Canada's Theatre Museum
Date: 2020-05-20

Tom Hendry reminisces on his relationship with legendary director John Hirsch. Remembered as equal parts genius and difficult, Hirsch was a Hungarian refugee and holocaust survivor who made an indelible impact on Canadian theatre. When both men lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Hendry and Hirsch ran in the same social circles and were initially introduced by Adele Wiseman. 

Hendry describes how an innocuous observation outside of a Winnipeg restaurant resonated with Hirsch’s painful past. Hendry shares Hirsch’s story of escape from the Nazis and his final interaction with his brother. John Hirsch was an unstoppable force within Canadian arts, perhaps motivated by the idea that he was saved and so needed to do something remarkable. 



Interviewed by R.H. Thomson on July 18, 2012 in Toronto. 

Filming location courtesy of The Canadian Stage Company.