The Richard Monette House

Two of our members are privileged to live in the wonderful house owned by the late Richard Monette. Wonderful, not only in its structure and gardens, but in the people who lived there, those who enjoyed the parties.

150 years ago the house was built by John Oldbert, age 25, a tinsmith, and almost immediately sold it to John Sharman. Sharman was a Crown Land Agent for the northern townships of Perth County, the owner of the Farmer’s Inn, located at the corner of Huron and Mornington Streets, and the owner of the first foundry in Stratford. John Sharman died in 1883, and a few years later, his wife, Isabella, left to live with her son, James. As the years passed, the house had many owners, and was eventually, after a series of alterations, turned into two apartments rather than a single family dwelling.

In 1977, Richard Monette and his friend, actress Domini Blyth, bought the house, giving each of them a place to call home. Twelve years later, he bought Ms Blyth out, and returned the place into a single family home. The house quickly became a home filled with filled with visitors on the weekends. Someone from the crowd, at one party quoted a Biblical verse: “They reel and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end.” Wit’s End was quickly adapted as the name for the house. 

Almost twenty years later, when Monette became the festival’s Artistic Director, he had the house totally transformed into a place fit for accommodating the visitors that it would be necessary for him to entertain.

Christmas was his favourite time of year. An artistically decorated 10 foot tree, surrounded by beautifully wrapped gifts boxes, would dominate the living room. Glass jars, filled with red and green candies and red roses mixed with greenery decorated elsewhere. 

Richard Monette, artistic director

Richard Monette was born in Montreal, the son of Florence M. (née Tondino) and Maurice Monette. He was a student at Loyola High School (Montreal) and Concordia University.

In 1992, he was named artistic director designate of the Stratford Festival, and subsequently named artistic director in 1994. During his tenure, he not only staged every Shakespearean play, he showcased big-production musicals such as My Fair Lady and Anything Goes. Though critics argued the musicals were too populist, Monette erased the Festival’s considerable financial deficit and brought in new audiences. His other legacies at Stratford include the Birmingham Conservatory acting school, a $50-million endowment fund, and the opening of a fourth theatre, the 260-seat Studio Theatre.

 Source: Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Monette

Source: Streets of Stratford – https://www.streetsofstratford.ca/richard-monette-way