Kathryn Shaw
Encyclopedia
Kathryn Shaw is a Canadian director, actor, and writer living in Vancouver
, Canada
. Since 1985 she has been the Artistic Director
of Studio 58
, an acting and production training school at Langara College
.
in dramatic art from Whitman College
and an Master of Fine Arts
in acting from the Columbia University School of the Arts
in New York City
. Following graduation, she lived in Victoria
, British Columbia
for a short while before eventually moving to Vancouver.
Over the past few decades, she has directed some of Canada's most prestigious theatre companies. She has taught acting for professional and community groups across British Columbia, Winnipeg
, Halifax, and has also been a guest instructor for the National Theatre School in Montreal
, Quebec
. Shaw has been on the Theatre BC committee, a parent organization to approximately 80 community theatre groups across British Columbia, as an adjudicator and dramaturge
.
She began teaching at Studio 58 in 1974 while the school was under the direction of Antony Holland
. Shaw replaced him as Artistic Director when he retired in 1985. Under her direction, Studio 58 has become recognized internationally as one of the premiere theatre training programs of Canada.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Since 1985 she has been the Artistic Director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
of Studio 58
Studio 58
Studio 58 is an intensive theatre school located in Vancouver, British Columbia. A part of Langara College's Theatre Arts Program, the school offers professional theatre training for actors and production personnel. It is the only conservatory-style theatre training program in Western Canada...
, an acting and production training school at Langara College
Langara College
Langara College is a public degree-granting college in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which serves approximately 20,000 students annually through its university, career, and continuing studies programs...
.
History
Shaw graduated with a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in dramatic art from Whitman College
Whitman College
Whitman College is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian, residential undergraduate liberal arts college located in Walla Walla, Washington. Initially founded as a seminary by a territorial legislative charter in 1859, the school became a four year degree granting institution in 1883...
and an Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
in acting from the Columbia University School of the Arts
Columbia University School of the Arts
The Columbia University School of the Arts , also known simply as the School of the Arts or as SoA, is the division of the university that offers Master of Fine Arts degrees in Film, Visual Arts, Theatre Arts, and Writing, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Film Studies...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Following graduation, she lived in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
for a short while before eventually moving to Vancouver.
Over the past few decades, she has directed some of Canada's most prestigious theatre companies. She has taught acting for professional and community groups across British Columbia, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Halifax, and has also been a guest instructor for the National Theatre School in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Shaw has been on the Theatre BC committee, a parent organization to approximately 80 community theatre groups across British Columbia, as an adjudicator and dramaturge
Dramaturge
A dramaturge or dramaturg is a professional position within a theatre or opera company that deals mainly with research and development of plays or operas...
.
She began teaching at Studio 58 in 1974 while the school was under the direction of Antony Holland
Antony Holland
Antony Holland is a British actor, playwright, and director from England. Currently he lives on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada.- History :...
. Shaw replaced him as Artistic Director when he retired in 1985. Under her direction, Studio 58 has become recognized internationally as one of the premiere theatre training programs of Canada.
Select directing credits
- Measure for MeasureMeasure for MeasureMeasure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. It was classified as comedy, but its mood defies those expectations. As a result and for a variety of reasons, some critics have labelled it as one of Shakespeare's problem plays...
- Bard on the BeachBard on the BeachBard on the Beach is Western Canada's largest professional Shakespeare festival, which is held every year in open-ended tents on the waterfront in Vanier Park in Kitsilano, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada... - Bachelor Brothers On Tour - The Vancouver Playhouse Theatre CompanyVancouver Playhouse Theatre CompanyThe Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company is a regional theatre company, producing plays since 1962. Its first production was The Hostage by Brendan Behan, which opened on October 2, 1963...
- The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? - Presentation House Theatre
- SkylightSkylight (play)Skylight is a play by British dramatist David Hare. It opened at the Royal National Theatre, Cottesloe, directed by Richard Eyre, in 1995. The production then moved to the Wyndham's Theatre for a short run from 13 February 1996, after winning the Laurence Olivier Award for the 1995...
- Belfry TheatreBelfry TheatreThe Belfry Theatre is a theatre and associated theatre company in the Fernwood neighbourhood of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The theatre is, in fact, a nineteenth-century church designed by Thomas Hooper.-Origins:... - The WeirThe WeirThe Weir is a play written by Conor McPherson in 1997. It was first produced at The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London, England, on 4 July 1997. It first appeared on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 1 April 1999. It has since been performed in Toronto, Dublin, Belfast, Boston,...
- Belfry Theatre & Western Canada TheatreWestern Canada TheatreWestern Canada Theatre is a professional theatre company located in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1969 by Tom Kerr under the name Western Canada Youth Theatre....
Company - Death of a SalesmanDeath of a SalesmanDeath of a Salesman is a 1949 play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was the recipient of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Premiered at the Morosco Theatre in February 1949, the original production ran for a total of 742 performances.-Plot :Willy Loman...
- Gateway Theatre - The Glass MenagerieThe Glass MenagerieThe Glass Menagerie is a four-character memory play by Tennessee Williams. Williams worked on various drafts of the play prior to writing a version of it as a screenplay for MGM, to whom Williams was contracted...
- Gateway Theatre - The Great DepressionThe Great Depression (book)The Great Depression is the title of a book written by Canadian author Pierre Berton.The period of time between the stock market crash of 1929 and the outbreak of war in 1939 had a terrible impact on the lives of all Canadians. The book, "The Great Depression" is a scalding indictment of the...
- Green Thumb Theatre / Studio 58 - A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
- Studio 58 - Mum's the wordMum's the wordMum's the word is a popular English idiom. It is related to an expression used by William Shakespeare, in Henry VI, Part 2.- Meaning :"Mum's the word" means to keep quiet, to say nothing. "Mum" is a Middle English word meaning "silent"...
- Back Row ProductionsBack Row ProductionsBack Row Productions is a company established in 1995 with offices in London and Sydney and is run by Managing Directors Liz Koops and Garry McQuinn....
, Arts Club Theatre Company (creative consultant)
Honours
- In 1996 she received the UBCPUBCPThe Union of B.C. Performers is a trade union in the Province of British Columbia and the B.C. Branch of the ACTRA .- Executive Board :...
/ACTRAACTRAThe Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists is a Canadian labour union representing performers in English-language media. It has 22,000 members working in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media....
Sam Payne Award in recognition of "humanity, integrity and the encouragement of new talent." - In 2001, she was on the first jury for the Siminovitch Prize in TheatreSiminovitch Prize in TheatreThe Siminovitch Prize in Theatre is given to recognize achievement in Canadian theatre; specifically, professional directors, playwrights and designers in three-year cycles...
, which recognized an outstanding director from nominations received from across Canada. - In 2005 she was elected into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame.
- The recipient of two Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards for Direction and Best Production, and nominated for four other Jessie Richardson Awards.
- In 2010, she was recognized as one of BC’s 100 most influential women by the Vancouver Sun.