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Jackie Maxwell (born 1956) is an Irish-born Canadian theatre director and dramaturge. She was the artistic director of the Shaw Festival from 2002 to 2016.
Beginning with their 2002 season, Maxwell served as the artistic director for the Shaw Festival, succeeding Christopher Newton. Prior to becoming artistic director, she had served as the head of the new writing program of the Shaw Academy in the 1980s and directed Picnic in 2001. During her tenure at the Shaw Festival, Maxwell has included pieces by women writers from Shaw’s period, commissioned new translations by some of Canada’s most respected playwrights, presented Canadian classics on the playbill and initiated enormous growth in the area of new play development. Her choices of plays marked a move away from presenting only plays by Shaw and his contemporaries towards including contemporary playwrights.
Maxwell's extensive list of directed productions includes Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters (2003),Shaw Festival Mandate and History http://www.shawfest.com/about-the-shaw/mandate-and-history/ Marc Michel Bouchard's The Coronation Voyage (2003) and Githa Sowerby's Rutherford and Son (2004), Saint Joan (2007), Brief Encounters (2009),Noël Coward’s Tonight at 8:30 series started with previews of Brief Encounters at the Shaw Festival Theatre. Media Release. Shaw Festival. http://news.shawfest.com/2009/04/14/noel-coward’s-tonight-at-830-series-started-with-previews-of-brief-encounters-at-the-shaw-festival-theatre/ Jay Turvey/Paul Sportelli musical Maria Severa (2011).
Beginning with Shaw's 2015 season, Maxwell began to transition out of the role of artistic director. She served as artistic director for the 2015 and 2016 seasons and then oversaw the 2017 season. In 2016, as part of her final season as artistic director, Maxwell returned to Chekhov, whose Three Sisters she directed in her inaugural season as AD, and directed Uncle Vanya. Maxwell was succeeded as AD by Tim Carroll. In 2017, the festival renamed the Studio Theatre in Maxwell's honour, calling it the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre. The Studio Theatre was originally added to the Shaw Festival space during Maxwell's tenure as AD in 2009.
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