James MacDonald Biography

James MacDonald is a Canadian theatre director, actor, and the Artistic Director of Western Canada Theatre. He was the first Artistic Director of Edmonton's FreeWill Shakespeare Festival (1997-2001) and helped found the company in 1989. In 2006 he accepted the position of Associate Artistic Director of the Citadel Theatre, where he also served as Program Director of the Citadel/Banff Centre Professional Theatre Training program until 2016.

Early years

MacDonald was born in Montreal and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. In 1986, he began a Bachelor of Arts (History) at the University of Alberta before transferring to the Bachelor of Fine Arts program. He trained at the Banff School of Fine Arts, and worked primarily as an actor until 1995 when he began to establish himself as a director. In 1989 he helped found the Freewill Shakespeare Festival,, formerly known as the River City Shakespeare Festival, and then became the companies first Artistic Director. He helmed the company for six years producing full-scale plays by William Shakespeare every summer from late-June to mid-July, with performances in the 1,000-seat Heritage Amphitheater in Hawrelak Park in Edmonton. In 2001 he was a member of the Shaw Festival's directors project, in 2002 directed The Old Ladies by Rodney Ackland and then made his Citadel Theatre directing debut in 2004, with Marie Jones, Stones in His Pockets starring John Ulyatt and John Kirkpatrick.

Career

Over the course of his 25-year career in the professional theatre, MacDonald's work as a director, dramaturge, actor, and educator has taken him across Canada. His work as a director includes productions at the Stratford Festival (Julius Caesar), the Shaw Festival (The Old Ladies), the Canadian Stage Company (Fire, Much Ado about Nothing, As You Like It), The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (A Few Good Men, Sherlock Holmes and the case of the Jersey Lily, and over 15 productions at Edmonton"?s Citadel Theatre (Clybourne Park, Vimy, God of Carnage, Venus in Fur).   As a director, dramaturge, and actor, MacDonald has been involved in the development of over 35 new Canadian plays, including his direction of Vimy (Citadel Theatre), Miss Shakespeare (Musical TheatreWorks), With a Twist (Lunchbox Theatre), Calgary), and Conni Massing's Myth of Summer (Alberta Theatre Projects) and dramaturged the Firehall Arts Centre's production of Chelsea Hotel: the Songs of Leonard Cohen, which has toured nationally, most recently to the Belfry Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Theatre Calgary and the Banff Centre.

As an actor he has worked for theatre's across Canada and Internationally, and originated the role of Einstein in Einstein"?s Gift at The Citadel Theatre.  He played the title role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the Citadel Theatre's annual production of A Christmas Carol from 2011-2015. He is a regular guest instructor/director for the University of Alberta"?s BFA Acting Program and teaches workshops in Shakespearean text and the audition process. MacDonald is a former national Councillor for the Canadian Actors"? Equity Association, and former Secretary of the Edmonton Performers"? Branch of ACTRA.   

Awards

• Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical for Miss Shakespeare for Musical TheatreWorks in Vancouver
• Dora Mavor Moore Award for "Outstanding Direction of a Musical"? for Canadian Stage's production of Paul LeDoux's FIRE
• Betty Mitchel Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical for With a Twist
• Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awardfor "Outstanding Direction"? for the Citadel Theatre's production of the world premiere of Vern Thiessen's VIMY
• Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Nomination for Outstanding Direction of Venus in Fur for The Citadel Theatre
• Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding performance by an Actor for Einstein's Gift and Of Mice and Men for the Citadel Theatre.
• Ovation Award Nomination for Outstanding Direction of the world premiere of Miss Shakespeare for Musical Theatreworks in Vancouver

Stage productions

Director (select)

• Peter and the Star Catcher (Citadel Theatre 2017)
• Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Citadel Theatre, 2016)
• Miss Shakespeare ( Musical TheatreWorks, 2015)

• Venus in Fur (Citadel Theatre, 2015)

• Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, 2014)
• Clybourne Park(Citadel Theatre, 2014)
• A Few Good Men (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre/Citadel Theatre, 2011)
• Billy Bishop Goes to War(Citadel Theatre, 2010)
• As You Like It(Citadel Theatre, 2010)
• Julius Caesar (Stratford Festival, 2009)
• The Blonde, Brunette, and the Vengeful Redhead (Citadel Theatre, 2008)
• Fire (Canadian Stage Company/Citadel Theatre, 2008)
• Shining City (Citadel Theatre, 2008)
• VIMY(Citadel Theatre, 2007) l
• With a Twist (Lunchbox Theatre, 2007)
• The Winter's Tale (Rivercity Shakespeare Festival, 2007)
• I am My Own Wife (Citadel Theatre, 2006)
• Equus (Citadel Theatre, 2006)
• The Taming of the Shrew (Rivercity Shakespeare Festival, 2006)

Actor (select)

• Christmas Carol - Scrooge (Bob Baker/Citadel Theatre 2011-ongoing)
• Blackbird - Ray (Wayne Paquette/Citadel Theatre, 2009)
• Omnium Gatherum - Terrence (David Storch/Canadian Stage, 2005)
• Amadeus - von Strack (Morris Panych/Canadian Stage/Citadel Theatre 2004)
• Henry V - Henry V (Ashley Wright/Rivercity Shakespeare Festival 2003)
• Einstein's Gift - Albert Einstein (David Storch/Citadel Theatre 2003)
• Of Mice and Men- Slim (Dennis Garnum/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre/Citadel Theatre, 1999)