New MSF Artistic Director Janice Blixt
Press release from the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, November 11, 2009:After months of searching and interviews, The Michigan Shakespeare Festival is proud to announce the selection of their new Artistic Director: Janice L. Blixt.
Janice is currently the Producing Artistic Director of A CREW OF PATCHES THEATRE COMPANY, a Chicago repertory company specializing in Shakespeare. For the Patches she has directed such classics as: JULIUS CAESAR, MACBETH, TWELFTH NIGHT, and ROMEO & JULIET. For other Chicago theatres she has directed ROMEO & JULIET, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, and HENRY V. She has also been the vocal director and text coach for OTHELLO, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, and HAMLET.
Janice has also made a name for herself in the world of workshops and classes, teaching classical text work, voice, and Folio Technique for professional actors, Eastern Michigan University, Loyola University, The City Colleges of Chicago, and for high schools around Chicago and its suburbs.
Janice received her MFA in Acting from Detroit’s Hilberry Repertory Theatre at Wayne State and BA’s in Theatre Arts and Literature from Bradley University.
While in the Detroit area, she performed for Meadow Brook, the Jewish Ensemble Theatre, Heartlande, and the Shadow Theatre Company. Since moving to Chicago, she has worked with City Lit Theatre, Bowen Park, The Next, and Timeline.
Her great joy is, and has always been, Shakespeare. Past roles include Lady Macbeth; Viola, Olivia, and Maria in TWELFTH NIGHT; Portia and Metella in JULIUS CAESAR, Lady Capulet and the Nurse in ROMEO & JULIET; Isabella in MEASURE FOR MEASURE; Rosalind in AS YOU LIKE IT; Beatrice in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING; Dionyza in PERICLES, Isabella in EDWARD III.
Janice is delighted to return to the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, where she performed Kate in THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, Titania in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, and Queen Elizabeth in RICHARD III. She is married to longtime MSF actor, director, and fight choreographer David Blixt, with whom she shares two wonderful children, Dashiell and Evelyn.
Janice is both honored and immensely excited at this opportunity, just as the Michigan Shakespeare Festival is delighted and honored to have her. Please join us this summer for her inaugural season of ROMEO & JULIET and A COMEDY OF ERRORS!
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