Michael Kelly is an actor, director, producer, writer, teacher, and arts educator. He is the founder and current artistic director of “Shakespeare In Action” Theatre Company in Toronto. His work has attracted local, national and international media attention for its innovative work with young audiences; with feature presentations on W-5, Canada AM, TVO Imprint and C.B.C.’s “As It Happens.” His credits include directing many Shakespeare and contemporary plays; teaching master classes for the Shakespeare Globe in London, Canada’s Stratford Festival, the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, York University and Shakespeare Globe Centre in New Zealand. Michael is an adjunct professor in the theatre department in the School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design at York University. He has taught acting for such established institutes as George Brown College, Randolph Academy for the Arts, and the National Youth Drama School in New Zealand. Michael is a Paul Harris Fellow appointed by the Rotary international foundation as well as recipient of the Canada council J.B.C. Watkins Award given to outstanding Canadian artists to pursue academic research.

Shakespeare in Action

Shakespeare in Action is a diverse theatre company that aspires to enhance the arts and education through exploring and performing Shakespeare’s plays. We are dedicated to fostering literacy, enhancing creativity and promoting speech arts by making the language and stories of Shakespeare accessible and relevant to young audiences, their families, and the community. Shakespeare in Action seeks to inspire audiences of all ages to discover Shakespeare’s universal truths in our everyday world, showing the influence classical theatre has within our communities.

Shakespeare in Action presents Sound & Fury, At Artscape Weston Common, Nov. 16 – Dec 7. Music, dance, and spoken word collide in this sharp, bold, and accessible world-premiere of Shakespeare’s most haunting play, MACBETH. Inspired by the sounds and poetry of 90s era hip hop music and performed by five diverse and dynamic actors, SOUND AND FURY is Marcel Stewart’s smart and imaginative adaptation that bursts with rhythms and lyrics, putting a contemporary spin on this classic story of bloody ambition.

www.shakespeareinaction.org