Patrick Christopher-Carter was born in London, Ontario, on 30 June 1945. He studied at the Ontario College of Art, the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal, and he completed a one-year program at the Loeb Drama Center in Boston. Christopher's early career concentrated on acting and included performances at the Grand Theatre in London, the Stratford Festival, the Shaw Festival, the Manitoba Theatre Centre, and with The Grand Theatre Company.

Eventually, Christopher began to focus on directing and teaching. He worked as an acting instructor for the Ryerson Theatre in Toronto and then for Theatre Ontario's Summer School in Kingston. He came to Dalhousie in 1988 as an associate professor where he directed approximately twenty productions, including Cloud Nine, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Working, Tonight We Improvise, The Art of Success, and Red Noses. He also taught acting and directing courses. In 1994 he founded Shakespeare by the Sea, the only outdoor theatre group in the province, with spouse Elizabeth Murphy.

Christopher retired from Dalhousie in 2005. To celebrate this milestone and his sixtieth birthday, Christopher and Murphy were married after twenty-nine years together on 1 July 2005. He died shortly thereafter on 17 July 2005. Christopher had one daughter, Zoe.

Nemetz, Andrea. "Shakespeare by the Sea's Co-founder Dies." The Chronicle Herald. 19 July 2005: F3. Virtual News Library. Dalhousie University, Killam Library 6 November 2006 <http://www.library.newscan.com/Biblio/Frames/FrameMain.asp>.

"Patrick Christopher - Director/Educator." From Artillery to Zuppa Circus. n.d. Dalhousie University Archives and Special Collections. 6 November 2006 < http://nstp.ucis.dal.ca/zouppa_5655.html>.

Soosaar, John."All the World's a Stage…" The Daily News. 24 July 2005: 9. Virtual News Library. Dalhousie University, Killam Library 6 November 2006 <http://www.library.newscan.com/Biblio/Frames/FrameMain.asp>.

Donated by the estate of Patrick Christopher in 2005.

This fonds consists primarily of materials related to Christopher's teaching career at Dalhousie. The fonds contains Christopher's teaching dossier; correspondence; records related to departmental administration including resumes and reference letters, brochures, meeting notes, publicity files, records related to the acting program, and departmental memos; course materials including student assignments and grades, scripts, handouts, and syllabi; records related to Dalhousie productions including photocopied reviews of performances, scripts, scores, and publicity files; records related to the Campus Criers program; workshop materials; computer discs; audio cassettes of music for productions; and videotapes used for class instruction.

Detailed inventory available onsite.

Files containing personal information are closed.

[Identification of item], Patrick Christopher fonds, MS-3-37, Box [box number], Folder [folder number], Dalhousie University Archives and Special Collections, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.