Alisa Palmer

Alisa Palmer is an award-winning theatre director, playwright, and producer and has developed, premiered, and toured original and provocative theatre creations for over twenty-five years. Her work crosses genres, including the classics, contemporary plays, collaborative creations, musicals, and operas and is characterized by vivid performances, a bold use of music, and a passionate commitment to the body politic. She is the recipient of numerous awards both in Canada and internationally, including six Dora Mavor Moore Awards, three Chalmers Awards, and a Harold Award for her contribution to independent theatre. She is a three-time finalist for the Siminovitch Prize and a recipient of the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. She was the artistic director of Nightwood Theatre, where she oversaw the commissioning and development of landmark plays including Harlem Duet by Djanet Sears and Smudge by Alex Bulmer, the first professional play by a blind playwright. She spent eight seasons at the Shaw Festival and three seasons at the Stratford Festival, where she recently directed the world premiere of Hamlet-911 by Ann-Marie MacDonald, developed through Vita Brevis Arts. Ms. Palmer is Executive Artistic Director of the National Theatre School of Canada, English Section, and Artistic Producer of Vita Brevis Arts. She is married to author Ann-Marie MacDonald, with whom she has two children.