Albert Hamilton Schultz ( ; born July 30, 1963) is a former Canadian actor, director and the founding artistic director of
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
's
Soulpepper Theatre Company
Soulpepper is a theatre company based in Toronto, Ontario.Keith Garebian"Soulpepper Theatre" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', November 4, 2010.
History
Soulpepper was founded in 1998 by twelve Toronto artists aiming to produce lesser-known theatri ...
. He resigned his position with Soulpepper after sexual allegations against Schultz became public in January 2018.
Education
Albert Hamilton Schultz was born in
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and west of Kingston, Ontario, Kingston. It is at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County, Onta ...
, on July 30, 1963.
He is the son of Virginia and Peter Schultz, the publisher of the ''Port Hope Evening Guide''. He has an older brother (Henry) and sister (Amanda).
His father died of leukemia when he was six, and his mother moved the family to
Napanee, Ontario.
He grew up in
Okotoks
Okotoks ( , originally ) is a town in the Calgary Metropolitan Region, Calgary Region of Alberta, Canada. It is on the Sheep River, approximately south of Downtown Calgary. Okotoks has emerged as a bedroom community of Calgary. According to t ...
,
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
.
Schultz studied drama at Toronto's
York University
York University (), also known as YorkU or simply YU), is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, and it has approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, ...
from 1981 to 1982, and at the
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. In ...
from 1984 to 1985.
He received an honorary doctorate at
Queen's University in 2008 and from
Bishop's University
Bishop's University () is a small English-language Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Diocese of Quebec, Anglican Bishop of Quebec ...
in 2009, which has since been rescinded.
Theatre
His theatre career as an actor includes several roles at the
Stratford Festival
The Stratford Festival is a repertory theatre organization that operates from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shak ...
, including Romeo in Robin Phillips' production of ''
Romeo and Juliet
''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'',
and at Soulpepper, including the title roles in Shakespeare's ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'',
Chekhov's ''
Platonov'',
and
Alan Ayckbourn
Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. As of 2025, he has written and produced 90 full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen ...
's ''
The Norman Conquests
''The Norman Conquests'' is a trilogy of plays written in 1973 by Alan Ayckbourn. Each of the plays depicts the same six characters over the same weekend in a different part of a house. ''Table Manners'' is set in the dining room, ''Living Tog ...
''.
He also played the stage manager in ''
Our Town
''Our Town'' is a three-act play written by American playwright Thornton Wilder in 1938. Described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written", it presents the fictional American town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 ...
'',
Henry in ''
The Real Thing'',
Alceste in ''
The Misanthrope
''The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover'' (; ) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal (rue Saint-Honoré), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris by ...
'',
Vershinin in ''
Three Sisters'', Astrov in ''
Uncle Vanya
''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897, and first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstan ...
'',
El Gallo in the musical ''
The Fantasticks
''The Fantasticks'' is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the 1894 play ''The Romancers'' (''Les Romanesques'') by Edmond Rostand, concerning two ne ...
'', Ricky Roma in ''
Glengarry Glen Ross'',
Macheath in ''
The Threepenny Opera
''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a 1928 German "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François V ...
'' and Martin in Edward Albee's ''
The Goat.''.
Television
Schultz's television career includes the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's (CBC) 1988 film ''
The Squamish Five'', the legal drama ''
Street Legal'',
the medical drama ''
Side Effects
In medicine, a side effect is an effect of the use of a medicinal drug or other treatment, usually adverse but sometimes beneficial, that is unintended. Herbal and traditional medicines also have side effects.
A drug or procedure usually used ...
'',
the comedy ''
The Red Green Show
''The Red Green Show'' was a half-hour Canadian television television comedy, comedy series. It aired on various channels in Canada from April 4, 1991 until April 7, 2006. The show was created and entirely co-written by Canadian comedian Steve S ...
'' (where he played roofer/country singer Arnie Dogan), the musical film ''
Youkali Hotel
''Youkali Hotel'' is a Canadian television musical drama film, directed by David Mortin and broadcast by CBC Television in 2003.Mandy Higgins, "TV special filmed here debuts in city: Youkali Hotel shot in former Grant Hall". '' Moose Jaw Times-Hera ...
'', and the role of
Conrad Black
Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour (born 25 August 1944), is a Canadian-British writer and former politician, Publishing, newspaper publisher, Investor, financier, and Fraudster, convicted fraudster.
Black's father was businessma ...
in
CTV's ''
Shades of Black: The Conrad Black Story''.
He was executive producer of the CBC series ''
Kim's Convenience
''Kim's Convenience'' is a Television in Canada, Canadian television sitcom that aired on CBC Television from October 2016 to April 2021. It depicts the Korean Canadians, Korean Canadian Kim family that runs a convenience store in the Moss Park ...
''.
Directing
Schultz has directed Soulpepper's productions of: ''
Death of a Salesman
''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by the American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a ...
'', ''
Twelfth Night
''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...
'', ''
As You Like It
''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...
'',
''
Oh, What a Lovely War!
''Oh, What a Lovely War!'' is an epic musical developed by Joan Littlewood and her ensemble at the Theatre Workshop in 1963. It is a satire on World War I, and by extension on war in general. The title is derived from the "somewhat satirical" ...
'', ''
The Caretaker'', ''
Waiting for Godot
''Waiting for Godot'' ( or ) is a 1953 play by Irish writer and playwright Samuel Beckett, in which the two main characters, Vladimir (Waiting for Godot), Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), engage in a variety of discussions and encounters w ...
'',
''
No Man's Land'', ''
A Chorus of Disapproval'', ''
The Time of Your Life
''The Time of Your Life'' is a 1939 five-act play by American playwright William Saroyan. The play is the first drama to win both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. The play opened on Broadway in 1939.
C ...
'', ''
Angels in America, Parts I and II'',
''
Amadeus
Amadeus may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Amadeus (name)
Amadeus is a theophoric name, theophoric given name derived from the Latin words ' – the Imperative mood, imperative of the word ' ("to love") – and ' ("god"). As a Compou ...
'', and ''Of Human Bondage''. He also co-created and directed Soulpepper's musical adaptation of ''Spoon River''. He directed
Susan Coyne
Susan Coyne (born 16 June 1958) is a Canadians, Canadian writer and actress, best known as one of the co-creators and co-stars of the award-winning ''Slings & Arrows'', a TV series which ran 2003–06 about a Canadian Shakespearean theatre c ...
's ''Kingfisher Days'' for the
Tarragon Theatre
The Tarragon Theatre is a theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the main centers for contemporary playwriting in the country. .
Awards
Schultz is the recipient of several awards, including: a
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...
, several
Dora Mavor Moore Award
The Dora Mavor Moore Awards (also known as the Dora Awards or the Doras) are awards presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), honouring theatre, dance and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moor ...
s, Toronto Critics Awards, the Joan Chalmers National Award for Artistic Direction,
the Salute to the City Award,
the ''Toronto Life'' Award, the Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award,
the Toronto Arts Council William Kilbourn Award,
and the
Queen's Jubilee Medal for his work on behalf of
UNICEF
UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
.
In 2013, he was made a Member of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
"for his contributions as a founding member and artistic director of the Soulpepper Theatre Company and for his commitment to training generations of theatre artists." In May 2014, Schultz received the
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) () is a Arts centre, performing arts organization in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre building.
History
The NAC was one ...
Award, a companion award of the
Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, recognizing work of an extraordinary nature and significance in the performing arts in the past performance year.
Sexual misconduct allegations
In January 2018, Schultz was publicly accused of sexual misconduct by four professional actresses who worked with him at
Soulpepper Theatre
Soulpepper is a theatre company based in Toronto, Ontario.Keith Garebian"Soulpepper Theatre" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', November 4, 2010.
History
Soulpepper was founded in 1998 by twelve Toronto artists aiming to produce lesser-known theatri ...
Company. The women involved are
Kristin Booth
Kristin Booth (born August 28, 1974) is a Canadian actress.
Early life
Booth grew up in Kitchener , near the Shakespeare festival town of Stratford, Ontario. She made her professional acting debut when she was 12, playing an orphan in a summer ...
, Diana Bentley, Hannah Miller and Patricia Fagan. Lawsuits on their behalf were filed against both Schultz and Soulpepper. Schultz resigned his position as artistic director on January 4, 2018, saying: "While I will continue to vigorously defend myself against the allegations that are being made, I have made this decision in the interest of the future of the company into which I poured the last 20 years of my life, and in the interest of the aspirations of the artists and administrators of the company."
On August 1, 2018, representatives of Schultz, Soulpepper and the four female cast members stated that the law suits were settled. No details were released publicly.
Ann-Marie MacDonald
Ann-Marie MacDonald (born October 29, 1958) is a Canadian playwright, author, actress, and broadcast host who lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Life and career
MacDonald is the daughter of a member of Canada's military; she was born at an air force ...
has spoken of her time as a Soulpepper production's equity deputy, when she complained about a fundraising event where dinners with female cast members were auctioned off.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schultz, Albert
1963 births
Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Canadian male television actors
Canadian male film actors
Canadian male voice actors
Canadian people of German descent
Living people
Male actors from Ontario
Members of the Order of Canada
People from Northumberland County, Ontario
Governor General's Award winners