Who We Are

Artistic Producer: Melissa-Jane Shaw

MJ hails from Nova Scotia, grew up mostly in Ottawa, and is now based in Toronto where she splits her time between acting, choreographing and producing. MJ has worked across Canada and in the US as an actor, dancer and singer for theatre, film and television. As a producer, MJ has worked freelance for various companies, as well as having worked as an entertainment publicist with rock-it promotions. In addition to founding Seventh Stage, she is Co-President and Co-Founder of LaRouge Entertainment, which produces entertainment for a wide range of corporate events. In the community, MJ sits on a variety of arts and culture advisory boards and donates services to numerous women’s based charities. She was named one of Canada’s 35 Most Inspiring Women of 2010 by Canadian Living Magazine and has taught thousands of women fitness, dance and yoga classes across North America. MJ holds her HBA in acting from the University of Toronto and Sheridan College and did her graduate work at the U of T Drama Centre. For more information about MJ, check out her personal site: www.melissajaneshaw.com

Artistic Director: Kelly Straughan

Kelly is currently the Artistic Director of Seventh Stage Theatre Productions. Kelly previously held the position of Associate Artistic Director at Nightwood Theatre from 2010-2011 and was the Assistant Artistic Director at Tarragon Theatre from 2007-2010. Recent productions include directing Witches and Bitches at the University of Toronto; 9 Parts of Desire for Seventh Stage (Dora Nomination- Best Ensemble); The Red Queen Effect at the Next Stage Theatre Festival (Dora Nomination- Costume Design); This is About the Push at the Toronto Fringe Festival (Now Magazine’s Best Director); OR, at SummerWorks Festival; The Little Prince for Resurgence Theatre; Soulless for 505 Productions at Factory Theatre, Wake at the 2008 Toronto Fringe Festival (Patrons Pick, Best of the Fringe, Now Magazine’s Best Director), as well as writing and directing Timebomb for the 2007 Toronto Fringe Festival (Patrons Pick, Now Magazine’s Best Ensemble and Best Director). Kelly has a Masters in Theatre Directing from the University of British Columbia.

Associate Producer: Briana Brown

After spending a year at the Canadian Stage Company as the Artistic and Producing Intern (where she produced the Raw! Raw! Raw! Festival, assisted in casting, and helped develop and launch their Emerging Artists Program, The GYM), she is thrilled to be applying those skills to an organization such as Seventh Stage. A graduate of York University (Honours BA), she has created and performed in a number of her own works and collaborations including her one woman show, Cassandra which was presented as part of FemFest in Winnipeg, following its national fringe tour. Recent credits include assistant directing True Love Lies (Factory Theatre), Misery(Canadian Stage Company) and directing the 2009 production of The Vagina Monologues (V-Day Toronto). As a playwright she was part of Nightwood Theatre’s 2008 Write from the Hip program and has recently been commissioned by SeriousFUN! Theatre Company. An excerpt of her work in progress, The Concessions was presented as part of the HOTscrawls Festival last May. She is currently the Director of Artistic Programs and artist facilitator with the Paprika Festival and Program Director of the TheatreKairos writers’circle.

Brittany Kay: Producing Intern

Brittany is currently studying in her last year in the Theatre and Drama Studies program at the University of Toronto and Sheridan College. Brittany’s past theatre credits include The Lion King (Mirvish), 9 Parts of Desire (Seventh Stage), Jerry Springer the Opera (Hart House), Year of the Flood (JCC), The Women, A Child of Survivors and Andromache (Theatre Erindale), Urinetown (City Playhouse), and Into the Woods (City Playhouse). Some of her past film and television credits include Happy Town (ABC), Life with Derek (Family Channel), Jonovision (CBC), Delilah and Julius (Teletoon), Haven (CBS), Me and My Shadows (ABC), and The Art of Tears (Tip Film). Brittany couldn’t be happier at being given the opportunity to work with such wonderful women. This team is one of talent, inspiration and motivation, who are not only encouraging mentors but a second family.

Board of Directors:

Alyssa Huggins (President)
Karim Kanji (Vice-President)
Meg Sethi (Secretary)
Dawn Whiteman (Treasurer)

Company contributors and artistic associates:

Rosa Laborde, Rachel Blair, Rosemary Dunsmore, Debra Goldblatt, Amanda Quinn, Stephania Varalli, Meghan Hoople, Kelsey Matheson, Amanda Ballard, Jennifer DeLucia, Nicole Lynx, Katherine East and Karen Gilodo.