20 May Announcing our Adjudicator: Michael Shamata

We are so excited to announce this years adjudicator is none other than Michael Shamata.

About Michael:

With over 50 years in professional theatre, Michael Shamata is the Artistic Director of the Belfry Theatre and the former Artistic Director of Theatre New Brunswick and the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario.  He has commissioned and produced many new plays, written a number of stage adaptations, directed in most of Canada’s major theatres, and his productions have won numerous awards across the country.  He has taught and directed at a number of training programs, served as Vice-President of PACT, as an Actors’ Equity Council Member, and as Chair of the Jury for the Governor General’s Award for English Language Drama.  He is the recipient of the Stratford Festival Artistic Director’s Award, presented by the late, great, John Hirsch.

An award-winning director, his credits at the Belfry include the English-language premiere of And Slowly Beauty, and the Canadian premieres of The Year of Magical Thinking and A Doll’s House, Part 2.  Credits elsewhere include Glengarry Glen Ross starring Eric McCormack (Arts Club), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Belfry/Arts Club, Jessie Award for Outstanding Direction), Mary Poppins (Citadel Theatre/Theatre Calgary, Calgary Critics Award for Best Director) The Light in the Piazza (Theatre Calgary, Calgary Critics Award for Best Director), and numerous Shakespeare productions in Toronto and Vancouver.

As a writer, Michael is best known for his adaptation of A Christmas Carol, which for many years was a holiday tradition at Soulpepper in Toronto. He has adapted numerous literary classics, including Great Expectations and The Wind in the Willows, and co-adapted The Secret Garden and Dracula. For the Belfry, he co-adapted, with Nick Bantock, Griffin & Sabine; and co-created I Think I’m Fallin’: The Songs of Joni Mitchell and If You Could Read My Mind: The Songs of Gordon Lightfoot.

Michael will conduct both public and private adjudications for each performance. We are thrilled to have his expertise to give such valuable feedback to groups participating in this years festival.